Prisoner of War
by Lady Kathleen
Summary: The Lis have taken over and banned any use of magic. Sakura and Touya, with the crutch of Tomoyo, must overthrow the ruthless monarchy and clear the name of Clow Reed in the process. But will they have some unexpected help in the process?
1. Chapter 1

"Well, jump!" Touya Kinomoto gave his younger sister a frustrated whisper as he bent over to try snatching the bag she was throwing up to him.

"In case you hadn't noticed, my dear brother, jumping barely gets me to the first branch!" she whispered back, spreading her arms out and demonstrating her short stature. Rolling his eyes, Touya jumped down. He grabbed the bag and thrust it into his sister's hands. Then, bending over to pick her up, Touya set the small teenager on his shoulders and leaned against the tree. With a low growl, the young woman took the bag and began climbing up the tree. Feeling the burden of his sister free from his shoulders, Touya then took the two extra bags on the ground and threw them up to her. With a small squeal, the girl caught the bags and set them securely between the trunk of the tree and a branch. Surveying the area, making sure they left no obvious marks, Touya then swung himself back into the tree, climbing higher than the girl and settling on a branch.

"You know, Sakura, if you hadn't been so keen to protect the palace, we wouldn't even be in this mess," Touya stated bluntly, once they had settled in. Sakura shifted slightly, leaning against a bag.

"Well, if there weren't people like you in the world, I would be able to freely use my magic," she snapped at him. Sakura curled up into a ball, expertly balanced on the branch she was occupying. Glaring down at the young girl, Touya bit back the urge to give her a swift kick to the head. Wrapped in what little clothes she was wearing, Sakura closed her eyes and ignored her brother for the rest of the night.

* * *

A young woman with long, black hair walked gracefully through the woods. Two glowing balls of light, yellow and purple, followed her as she hummed. Dirt streaked her long white dress, but she took no mind to it. The knots in her hair, however, bothered her, something of which you could see in her eyes while she played with the tips of the beautiful tresses.

"Cerberus," she started with a musical voice. "Is there no water nearby?" she inquired. The yellow ball glowed brighter as it spoke.

"I would not know, Tomoyo-sama. My powers are weakened when the sun sets," it responded.

"Spinel?" Tomoyo asked with a small frown. The purple ball of light did not bother to answer, as it did not know either. Stepping over gnarled roots and around tall trees, Tomoyo never slowed. Her steady pace had been kept since dawn that morning, the day of walking showing obviously on her bare feet. Dried blood and mud covered her delicate skin, showing no promise of recovery. The young woman's face held a look of nonchalance, making her seem like a lost spirit. Her deep purple eyes, however, showed every emotion she endured. The pain, loneliness, heartache… even the desperate sense of a damsel in distress. Her own soft voice being the only one of comfort, Tomoyo did not bother speaking to her guardians, knowing they would not answer unless they thought eminent.

The young woman's eyes wandered up to the moon, full and displaying all its glory. Bright stars accompanied the lone symbol of night. Thoughts of her now lost family and friends made their way into her mind, creating tears in her eyes, completely contrasting with the emotionless look etched on her face. As the tears of sorrow fell, Tomoyo's porcelain skin glowed where they touched. Her eyes never leaving the moon, the young woman tripped on a bent root, sending her flailing to the ground. A loud rip was heard in the cold night air, but Tomoyo simply stood again and kept going. With tears and snot running down her face, the young woman stumbled into a clearing and froze.

* * *

Sakura opened her eyes, the bright emerald orbs taking in the night. Hearing her brother's steady breathing, she leapt out of the tree. With a bounce in her step, Sakura surveyed the area around her. Her eyes skimmed the sky, trees, and ground, an internal debate within her mind. Pushing the pieces of hair that escaped her ponytail out of her eyes, the young woman made a decision and sprinted east.

Her shorts did little to protect her thighs from the twigs and low branches in her wake, but her boots allowed her to step anywhere with ease. As Sakura ran, a smile broke out on her face as she breathed in the crisp night air. Her mind clicked when she ran a mile, earning her feet a faster pace. Trees flew by in a blur, rocks and branches on the ground not even breaking her stride. At her second mile, Sakura let out her aura. A burst of rosy pink with tints of a darker shade could be seen by the rare trained eye. Sakura could run her fingers through her aura, the magic thick enough in the air to fog anyone's vision.

At mile three, Sakura broke into a clearing in the forest and stopped in a spin, her smile directed at the stars. After a few moments, the dizzying spin sent her to the ground. Laying on her back, Sakura breathed deeply, not at all worn out from her nightly run. In her mind, the young woman recited all of the constellations she could spot.

After a few minutes of rest, Sakura let her body go limp and her mind soar. Her pink aura drifted toward the ground, a ghostly fog. In her mind's eye, Sakura saw her sleeping brother, a dagger clutched in his hand. She sensed all the small animals around her and knew there was a distant clutter of a city in her path. The weight of the world seemed to have lifted off of Sakura's shoulders, the serene look on her face reflecting the peacefulness of the night.

After a long while, Sakura slowly sat up and took in her surroundings, already aware of every tree and insect. Sitting cross legged, Sakura opened the pouch that she wore on her hip at all times. Taking a deep breath, she took out two large cards. Looking them over, she nodded to herself, seeing The Dark and The Light.

Settling herself on her knees, Sakura then laid the two cards out in front of her. Drawing a circle around herself and the cards, she then closed her eyes. Breathing deeply, Sakura channeled all of her power into the small space she had given herself. Drifting off into her own little world, Sakura took no notice to the way the cards in front of her glowed.

"_Clow-sama!" Sakura ran up a set of marble steps, her yellow dress flowing around her. Touya stood in the background next to an older couple, a permanent scowl on his face. The man Sakura addressed as Clow gave a hearty laugh as he bent down to give the young woman a hug._

"_Sakura, my dear, it is always such a pleasure to see you and your radiant smile," he responded. Clow Reed then turned to the rest of the family, who were rising up the steps. "Touya, my boy, you are growing so quickly," he commented. Touya grunted and bowed. Shaking his head, Clow continued. "You will make such a fine knight some day, Touya." The man next to Touya chuckled, holding his hand out for Clow._

"_Clow-sama, you know him too well," he greeted. Smiling, Clow clutched his hand and bowed to the woman next to him._

"_Fujitaka, Nadeshiko, I am so pleased to see you two again," he smiled gently as he gestured to a servant to bring the shaking Nadeshiko a wheelchair. Smiling gratefully, Nadeshiko handed Fujitaka the cane she was leaning on and sat gracefully. The servant pushing Nadeshiko, the family followed Clow into the palace he occupied._

"_If you would," Clow began, looking at Sakura's parents. "I would like to have some time with Sakura in the gardens," he requested. Fujitaka nodded and made his way to Clow's private quarters with Nadeshiko and Touya. Curious, Sakura followed Clow to the back of the palace, where the vast gardens were displayed._

"_What is it, Clow-sama?" Sakura asked, taking a seat on a bench under the shade of a cherry blossom tree. Clow, seated next to her, said nothing. As the wind played with Sakura's long auburn hair, she studied the cherry blossoms, watching them cascading to the ground, carried by the breeze. Soon, Sakura found her hand in Clow's. Startled, she looked up at him, her eyes softening upon seeing the look on his face._

"_Clow-sama, you look as if you are mourning a death," Sakura stated. Chuckling sadly, Clow nodded._

"_I am not, my dear, but maybe soon…" Sakura didn't know how to react. Squeezing her hand, Clow looked into the young woman's eyes. "Sakura…"_

"_Clow-sama, please tell me what's going on," Sakura demanded in a worried tone. Clow, taking a moment, lifted a pendant from around his neck. Slipping it over her head, Clow smiled._

"_Sakura, you are the most beautiful woman in my kingdom. You will find a fine husband someday… but never one good enough for you," he started. Sakura nodded slowly, knowing not to interrupt. "And your magic… you are more powerful than even I, my dear girl, but also very young. To have all of that power… and no outlet. I was suffering from such a thing once. But when my mentor taught me how to control it… I felt so sure of myself." Clow looked off into the distance, as if watching his past flash by him. _

"_But you're here to train me, Clow-sama," Sakura reminded him. After a moment, Clow nodded slowly and looked down at her hand in his._

"_My dear, you have always been like a granddaughter to me… and your mother like a daughter. To keep something from you would kill me on the inside, but telling you would do the same," he explained. Concern clouded Sakura's face as she waited for him to continue. "Sakura, my dear, I do not know how much more time I may have. But I know that it is not much," he said. Sakura took a few moments to process this, gripping his hand. _

"_Clow-sama," she whispered. "You're a sorcerer… the most powerful sorcerer of this generation. How could you say such a thing?" she questioned. Sighing, Clow couldn't bring himself to look into her eyes._

"_My dear, every kingdom has its enemies. Including this one. However small this kingdom may be… it is my world. My life. I live to protect it. And if protecting it means leaving it in another's hands…" he trailed off. Sakura stared at him expectantly. "Our treaty with the Li kingdom ends in one month's time," Clow said. Sakura nodded, already knowing this. "You, Sakura, are my heir to the throne," Clow went on. Sakura nodded again, having known this her entire life. Using his other hand to lift Sakura's chin to look him in the eye, Clow regarded her sympathetically._

"_I am old and worn, my dear. The Lis have armies larger than the population of our kingdom," he said. Sakura shook under his gaze, realizing what he was leading to. "You know their teachings and faiths. You also know how ruthless the royal family is," Clow continued. "Which means you know what will happen when, in a month's time, the Lis take over this kingdom," he finished. Sakura's eyes were wet, but no tears fell. They sat still for a few minutes, exchanging no words. _

"_Magic will be banned," Sakura whispered, her voice cracking. _

"_Yes," Clow replied without hesitation. Standing, he pulled Sakura up with him. "Thus, I have something I must show you. You are the most powerful sorceress this world has seen in centuries," he regarded her with pride. "Taking down an army would be no problem for you if you were at your full potential." Sakura nodded as Clow lead her back to the palace._

The Dark and The Light glowed brightly as Sakura's aura swirled around her. A glowing rectangle the size of the two other cards occupied the space in front of Sakura's chest. A star pendant around her neck tugged toward the card, eager to see what it was. Sakura herself looked like a ghost, completely still.

As the form of the card started to solidify, Sakura heard a small gasp. Her emerald eyes snapped open and immediately took in the sight of a beautiful young woman, looking as if she had been running for hours. As Sakura's power realized the girl was no longer with it, it immediately started to disperse. The rectangular shape of the card in the air shot back into the pendant around her neck and Sakura's aura soaked into her skin. This happened in a matter of seconds, completely shocking Sakura's mind and body. Frozen in place, Sakura stared at the young woman, who had fallen to her knees. She consciously noted two glowing orbs behind the girl. Sakura's breath appeared as fog in the air, although the night was moist and warm.

"How…" Sakura didn't get a chance to finish as she passed out. The young woman gasped again, her hands flying to her mouth as she watched Sakura collapse. The yellow orb of light behind the young woman zipped passed her, creating a gust of wind that sent her long dark hair flying around her. Before the girl could even blink, the yellow orb trapped itself inside the pendant around Sakura's neck, its fate unknown.

"Spinel…" the young woman whispered, scared. Glancing at the purple orb, she slowly and unsurely stumbled to her feet and clumsily made her way to Sakura. Falling to her knees beside the auburn haired sorceress, the dark haired woman lightly touched her forehead, immediately snapping her hand back. "Her skin… it's so cold…" she whispered, her eyes wide.

* * *

Touya's brown eyes opened slowly, taking in the early morning light. Taking a minute for his mind to catch up, Touya swung his leg beneath himself, attempting to nudge Sakura awake. When his foot met air, he swung his leg farther and harder, earning himself more thin air. Eyes wide, Touya flung himself off of his thick branch. Trying and failing to find something to grab onto, Touya was rewarded with the cold, hard ground. With a grunt, Touya looked up and was met with his makeshift pillow slamming into his face. Grabbing the bag and throwing it to the side, Touya's face was etched with anger. Looking up, he saw the two other bags hidden in the tree, but his sister was nowhere in sight.

"What the hell…" Grumbling, Touya dragged himself to his feet and surveyed the area. Seeing nothing of interest, Touya's eyes narrowed as he looked for any traces of magic. Seeing none, he sighed and got the remaining two bags out of the tree. Strapping two to his back and carrying the third, he made a split second decision and headed east, into the forest.

As he walked, Touya rummaged through the bag he was holding, checking their inventory. Noting what they had and what they needed, he closed the bag. As he kept walking for a few minutes, an annoyed look crossed his face as he realized how far he was walking. Narrowing his eyes again, he searched the area for any more traces of magic. As he took a few more steps, he saw hints of pink in the air… and burst into a sprint. As he ran, Touya let out a string of colorful curses, promising himself to give Sakura a good smack. Eventually, he broke into a clearing occupied by two young women and overwhelming with magic. One woman was his sister, but in a second he had the other pinned down.

"Who are you? What happened here?" he demanded viciously. If looks could kill, the young woman would be six feet under the ground. Her eyes were wide with terror, not sure how to respond. Touya pressed his dagger to the woman's throat, bright red liquid staining her porcelain skin. "I asked you a question!" he yelled.

As the dark haired woman struggled to find words, an orb of purple light flung itself toward Touya. In a moment, Touya found himself several feet away from the possible enemy, on his back. Hearing a faint "Spinnel!" being exclaimed, Touya grunted as he propped himself up on his elbows. Glaring, he resurveyed the situation. Seeing the terrified woman hiding behind a tree and his younger sister laying motionless on the ground, his heart pounded as he decided what to do.

"Ahh!" The dark haired beauty yelped in surprise and pain as a small dagger pierced her hand, embedding it to the tree.

"Sakura!" Touya rushed up to the auburn haired girl, kneeling beside her and checking her pulse.


	2. Chapter 2

Sakura sat cross legged in front of the ragged girl with long, black hair, wrapping her now clean wound. Touya sat behind her, deep in thought. Although Sakura still felt ill, she also felt strong and energized. Unsure on how to dwell on this odd feeling, she devoted herself to the mysterious girl who had stumbled upon her ceremony.

Tomoyo couldn't keep her eyes off the young sorceress. The caring yet guarded aura Sakura set off was intriguing to her and she had glanced once at Spinel and accepted the guardian. The young man, however, seemed angry beyond belief.

"We're taking her with us," Sakura stated quietly to Touya.

"What? Are you insane?" Touya stood, making his way toward the two girls. "She tried to kill you!" he yelled. Tomoyo flinched at the tone of his voice. Taking a moment to finish wrapping the silent girl's hand, Sakura stood.

"No, Touya, she didn't," Sakura sighed. "That was me and my lack of concentration." Glaring, Touya obviously had no idea what she was talking about.

"All you were doing was being your usual idiotic self and playing with magic! For all we know, this girl could be a spy for the Lis!" Touya pointed an accusing finger at the other girl, who flinched at the gesture. Sakura stood and whirled to face Touya.

"Take my word for it, what happened to me had nothing to do with her. What happened to her hand, however, had everything to do with you!" She threw the first aid kit at him. Then, turning toward Tomoyo, Sakura calmed down.

"You had two guardians with you when you stumbled into this clearing." It was a statement more than a question, but the girl nodded vigorously. Sakura unconsciously held her pendant in her hand, thinking of the events that happened in her mind after she saw the young woman before her. "And who do you bow before?" Sakura asked quietly. Tomoyo, taken aback by this question, took a moment to answer.

"His majesty Clow Reed, of course." Tomoyo had a small voice. Nodding, Sakura spun on her heel to grab the bags that Touya had brought with him. Rifling through them, Sakura came up with some spare clothes and boots.

"You're coming with my brother and me, no questions asked," she said quietly, throwing the outfit to the girl. Grabbing Touya, Sakura picked up the bags and walked away silently. Soon enough, the dark brunette caught up to them, her dress now in her hands. Cowering under Touya's gaze, she kept pace with Sakura.

"Who are you? _What_ are you? Where do you come from?" Tomoyo demanded after they had walked several miles. Sakura lead the way while Touya took up the rear, his gaze never leaving them.

"That is none of your concern," Sakura responded, glancing back at her.

"I am traveling with you, am I not?" Tomoyo huffed. "I deserve to know who my companions are!" she complained. With a sigh, Sakura stopped and faced the girl.

"My name is Sakura and the grumpy man behind you is my elder brother, Touya." This earned Sakura a glare from the man. "We come from the village of Tomoeda, but we travelled often before the downfall of our kingdom," she finished. Tomoyo nodded slightly and thought a moment.

"And your goals?" she insisted. Rolling her eyes, Sakura started walking again.

"That is for us to know," she complied. Groaning, Tomoyo was nearly jogging to keep up. "Why do you think we found each other, Tomoyo Daidouji?" Tomoyo's breath caught in her mouth.

"How did you…?" Tomoyo started. Sakura smiled wearily.

"Perhaps you should start introducing yourself before demanding the life story of someone else. But you look just like your mother," she replied. Shocked, Tomoyo was silenced. Hearing Touya grunt slightly from behind, she swiveled her head around and looked at him, but he was staring at the ground.

The more they traveled the angrier Touya got and the more quiet Sakura became. Tomoyo felt as if she could pass out at any moment and she could no longer feel her feet. From behind she saw that Sakura's long hair was a tangled mess, but the most beautiful shade of auburn she had ever seen. She was slightly shorter than Tomoyo, who had a somewhat stout figure. But Tomoyo noticed that Sakura's figure was that of an athlete's, someone made to move.

As the day dragged on, Tomoyo tiredly started to notice other travelers heading in the same direction as they were, carrying large sacks with straw or corn sticking out of them. Touya had only let the girls stop once during the day to eat, which consisted of dry bread and cheese. Sakura had taken notice of Tomoyo's poor state, but said nothing of it. Instead she continually reminded Tomoyo to stop playing with her bandages, which were slowly becoming wet with blood.

In what seemed like no time at all compared to the endless traveling Tomoyo had endured, they made way into small village that seemed to double as a trading post. All around her Tomoyo heard merchants and civilians chatting in a language she couldn't understand. Sakura leaned over to whisper in her ear, having moved closer to her as they neared the village.

"You do not know the language of the Borders?" she whispered. Shocked at how far she had come, Tomoyo reluctantly shook her head. "Then you are a mute, do you understand? And do your best to hide your hand." Tomoyo sent Sakura a confused look. Rolling her eyes, Sakura repeated herself.

"You are a mute," she repeated firmly, a slight glare set in her eyes. "Do you understand?" Slowly, Tomoyo nodded, completely lost. "Whatever Touya and I do, you _will_ play along," Sakura demanded. Tomoyo was getting sick of being treated like a child, but she hadn't been given a choice. She would probably pay for it if she didn't follow the green eyed girl's orders.

"Hello!" Sakura greeted a merchant at a stand selling cow hides in the foreign language. Tomoyo tried her best to keep her mouth shut and look like she knew exactly what they were saying. The dirty merchant looked Sakura and Tomoyo up and down, leering at them.

"What can I do for you young ladies?" he responded. Sakura did well to hide her disgust.

"We're just some travelers looking to have a comfortable night before we continue on with our journey." Touya walked up behind Tomoyo and wrapped his arm around her, helping her to hide her heavily bandaged hand. Tomoyo looked shocked, but Touya gave her a look and she quickly covered it up. His voice sounded friendly and he had a forced smile on his face. "This is my wife, Naoko," he kissed Tomoyo cheek, causing her to turn bright red. "Just married," Touya added with a wink. The merchant was obviously becoming uncomfortable. "And this rascal here is my sister," Touya concluded, mussing up Sakura's hair. Sakura slapped him playfully on the arm and laughed. The merchant, with his newfound knowledge, moved to stand behind the counter of his stall and stopped looking at the lady's chests.

"We were wondering," Sakura asked in a flirtatious voice, leaning on the counter. "Is there anywhere we could stay the night in this cute little village?" The merchant found it very hard to resist Sakura, eyeing her cleavage. Tomoyo noticed Touya seething, but stayed in character.

"Well, what kind of place you lookin' for?" the merchant inquired. Sakura tapped her chin while looking upward, pretending to think.

"How about a place out of the way… somewhere nothing… _too _bad could be noticed," she smiled seductively at the merchant, who really wished at that moment that he washed his beard when he had the chance earlier that evening.

"Well, there's a place right on the other side of town that's real out of the way. Real nice place, too," he answered. Touya glanced at Sakura, who caught his eye and nodded.

"That sounds great," she smiled. The merchant smiled back, showing a set of yellow teeth.

"Need any more help, you know where I am," he said, winking. Sakura giggled and turned away. Touya, keeping his arm around Tomoyo, walked away with Sakura.

"Your name is Naoko," Sakura told Tomoyo, switching back to their native language.

"W-what?" Tomoyo stuttered, still blushing. She had never been this close to a man, especially one she barely knew.

"That was a merchant we were talking to. You and Touya are newlyweds and I'm Touya's sister," Sakura continued to fill Tomoyo in. Forgetting her embarrassment for a moment, Tomoyo looked at Sakura confusedly.

"Well, what are your names?" she asked. Sakura smiled at her.

"Doesn't matter. No one cares if you give them a story on the spot. As long as you're Touya's wife named Naoko, no one really cares what the rest of the story is," she explained. Tomoyo nodded slowly, understanding Touya's act. Soon, they reached the outskirts of the other side of the village, where a large house stood. Walking through the half dead garden that was the front lawn, the small 'family' made their way through the front door of the house and to a counter in the front.

"Hello," Touya greeted with a smile in the strange language. "We were wondering if you had any rooms available." A young woman with straight black hair and glasses smiled at him.

"Well, I would hope that's why you're here. My name is Naoko, I'm the main hostess for this establishment," she introduced. Tomoyo was concentrating hard on the situation, trying to understand. Catching her name, 'Naoko,' being used, she reacted. Touya responded without missing a beat.

"How strange!" he laughed heartily. "Why, that's the name of this beauty right here," he smiled down at Tomoyo, who smiled back, catching on to the charade.

"Oh really?" Naoko asked thoughtfully. "It's such a rare name." Touya laughed again, which seemed like a nervous one according to Tomoyo, and kept going.

"I can agree with that. Luckily, however, we don't stand out too much with my oaf of a sister around to make things a bit plainer," he winked at Sakura, who glared back heatedly.

"Oh?" Naoko inquired patiently.

"Yes, her name is Ai," Touya smiled. Content with the popular name, Naoko smiled.

"And what is your name?" This questioned caused Touya to grit his teeth in frustration. Apparently they had never encountered an inn with such accurately kept records. "I need everyone's names on the papers," she explained. Nodding, Touya glanced helplessly at Sakura.

"Achoo!" Sakura sneezed abruptly, startling both Tomoyo and Naoko. "My goodness," she let out a convincing sniffle. "The air in here is quite dusty… are you sure you heard the merchant right, Brother?" Sakura frowned. Naoko looked at the siblings questioningly.

"Yes, Ai, he insisted this was the best in town. Are your allergies acting up again?" Touya looked worried, making Sakura inwardly roll her eyes at his new antic.

"O-Oh really?" Naoko asked, blushing slightly. Turning high and mighty, 'Ai' scowled at Naoko.

"Obviously a lie!" she exclaimed. Tomoyo was growing tired of not knowing what was going on, completely thrown off by Sakura's change of mood.

"What?" Naoko asked, hurt. Touya removed his arm from Tomoyo and moved to comfort Sakura. Naoko glanced at the bloodied bandage wrapped around Tomoyo's hand. Tomoyo quickly hid it behind her back, giving Naoko what she hoped was a 'what can you do?' look.

"Sis, you're overreacting," he tried to sooth her.

"Not even!" Sakura kept up her spoiled attitude. Desperate, Naoko started rambling on, trying not to lose new guests.

"Please, Miss, we just cleaned this morning. I could have your room cleaned again before you go up while the inn treats you to a warm meal," Naoko begged. Sakura narrowed her eyes at Naoko.

"And what promise will I have that my sensitive immune system won't suffer overnight?" she insisted. Naoko noticeably shrunk at the tone of Sakura's voice.

"W-well, miss, you could inspect the room yourself. And… and if you choose to stay and are still not satisfied in the morning, there will be no charge," Naoko stammered. Sakura thought a moment.

"Oh, no, you don't need to do such things for us," Touya complained. Naoko shook her head vigorously.

"No! Sir, we work to keep all of our guests as comfortable as possible," she smiled confidently. Sakura shrugged and turned away, bumping Tomoyo so she would stop staring dumbly at the situation.

"That is so kind," Touya smiled softly at Naoko, causing her to blush.

"Of course, Sir," she said, perhaps too quickly. "Just let me notify the cooks and prepare your room," she scampered off.

"Doesn't even bother to show us the dining room," Touya rolled his eyes once she was out of sight, also switching back to a language Tomoyo could understand. Sakura smacked him upside the head.

"You can see it down the hall, dolt. I seriously wonder why I always play the princess," she grumbled as she walked off.

"Maybe because you are one," Touya snapped as he followed her, shocking Tomoyo. Sakura, in her natural behavior, surely didn't act like a spoiled child in Tomoyo's eyes. Following the siblings, however, Tomoyo found herself seated at a table in the middle of the dining room.

"Um…" Tomoyo tried starting. Sakura looked at her expectantly. "If we're trying to be inconspicuous, why are we sitting where we would be the center of attention?" she asked in a hushed voice. Sakura raised her eye brow, as if it were obvious.

"Do you honestly think my character would want to sit in a dark corner?" Tomoyo blushed once again that night and shook her head.

"Well then, what exactly is going on?" she asked. Sakura didn't answer, and neither did Touya. As Tomoyo opened her mouth to ask again, she caught Touya throwing her a glare.

"We'll have you a meal prepared in a matter of minutes," Naoko appeared behind Tomoyo. Eyes wide, Tomoyo instinctively turned her open mouth into a yawn.

"Thank you so much," Touya smiled. When Naoko left, red in the face, Sakura sighed.

"She said our meal will be ready soon," Sakura notified Tomoyo quietly.

"Meal?" Tomoyo was confused and excited.

"Yes," Sakura sighed again. "She was prying too much. I threw a fit and she offered us a meal while our room is being cleaned." Tomoyo chose not to question further as she absorbed this information, just sitting back. Touya, catching Naoko watching them from the corner of his eye, smiled and took Tomoyo's hand in his.

"You look so tired, sweet," he said in a caring voice. Tomoyo had no idea what he said, but whatever it was he didn't mean it. She could tell just from the look in his eyes and she just nodded.

"Well, if that ugly girl would hurry up, we could sleep sooner," Sakura snapped as their food was brought to them. Tomoyo dug in, hungry and not wanting to draw attention to herself for looking like she didn't know what they were saying, which she didn't. Naoko started walking up to them as they started eating, so Touya glared at Sakura in case Naoko heard her remark.

"Your room is ready," she smiled sweetly at Touya. Tomoyo saw this and frowned at her, knowing Touya was supposed to be her husband. Sakura just rolled her eyes and muttered a 'finally' as she ate a roll.

"Thank you very much. I hope it wasn't too much trouble," Touya smiled back at Naoko.

"Not at all. You three will be in room two, just up the stairs next to the reception desk and the second door down on your right. There will be a key in the lock. Have a nice night," Naoko smiled some more and left.

"I'm tired and sick of putting on a show," Sakura stated as she stood, holding her plate full of food. "You two better stay down here, though. The newlyweds would want some time alone," she smiled sweetly at Touya, who responded with a glare. Tomoyo blushed, stuffing a cooked carrot in her mouth. She wouldn't deny that Touya was handsome.

"Good night!" Sakura sauntered off, ignoring the chef who was telling her she couldn't take the plate of food to her room. Touya and Tomoyo sat silently, eating. Tomoyo would open her mouth at times to softly ask a question, but she either lost her nerve or caught someone watching them from the corner of her eye.

"How did you get to the Border?" Touya grumbled. Startled, Tomoyo took a moment to comprehend the question and then another few to remember the answer.

"W-well…" she didn't know how to answer. Touya stared her down, making the poor woman even more nervous. Bothered, she nibbled on another carrot.

"Do I need to repeat myself?" Touya growled, not having much patience.

"Why isn't anyone else dining?" Tomoyo spit out. Touya sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"It is well into the night, any other guests would be sleeping," he explained. Tomoyo blushed for not realizing this. As she continued to eat, however, Touya set his fork down and leaned on the table, obviously still expecting an answer for his question. Tomoyo kept her gaze down, eating slowly. Soon, though, Touya caught her hand in his, causing Tomoyo to jump in surprise and send her fork clattering against her plate.

Quickly and cautiously, Touya glanced around them.

"Answer me," he demanded. Biting her lip, Tomoyo started slowly.

"I… I don't exactly remember all of the details," she admitted quietly. Touya said nothing, expecting her to go on. "I come from the small town of Misaki. I've spent most of my life at a finishing school, but I was home this particular week for a holiday… Two weeks ago, if I remember correctly. It's not far from Tomoeda, actually. I lived with my mother," she continued. Touya nodded thoughtfully. "You two knew her, didn't you?" Tomoyo stared at the table as Touya's hand left hers.

"Yes," he said quietly. "She was good friends with our mother. Now go on." Glancing nervously at the young man, Tomoyo obliged.

"If you knew her, you would know that we were wealthy. We had a great life and we were close even though I was always away at school and she traveled a lot for some sort of business. It seemed like we had no problems," she said in a hushed voice, noticing someone walk past the kitchen door. "Apparently, the Lis disagreed." Tomoyo looked at Touya, who was staring ahead of himself thoughtfully, with a hard look on his face.

"When the Lis came, Mother told me to hide… I was in a cupboard in the kitchen. All I could hear was screaming and crying. There were gunshots and sounds even more gruesome than that." Tears were starting to form in Tomoyo's eyes. "A maid died right in front of me. I could see her face through the crack of the cupboard door and it took everything I had not to scream in terror." Touya's face didn't change. "When they thought they had found everyone and killed them, they set the house on fire. I was frozen, though. I couldn't open the door." Tomoyo's hands found their way to their mouth. "I honestly don't know how I… how I survived. The next thing I knew, I was on my front lawn, covered in soot." She kept going. Touya said nothing, but caught Sakura listening from the far corner of the room, behind Tomoyo.

"They were all gone," Tomoyo sobbed. "Everyone… They went around to everyone's homes, looking for me. They yelled my name every time they kicked someone's door down." Tomoyo cradled her tearstained face in her hands. Touya was unsure of what to do and Sakura was looking at her feet in the corner. Still sobbing, however, Tomoyo tried finishing her story.

"The next thing I knew, I was walking. I couldn't stop. Cerberus and Spinel were with me, leading me…" Tomoyo couldn't say anymore. Slowly, Touya wrapped his arm around her and helped the crying girl stand. Leading her to their room, they left Sakura behind.


	3. Chapter 3

"They were after Clow's book," Sakura proclaimed. She and Touya were crouched in a corner down the hall from their room. After a bit of snooping, they found that there weren't any other guests at the inn. That is, assuming the staff slept on the top floor of the building or in their own homes.

"Clow's book?" Touya was momentarily confused. Sighing, Sakura rested her head in her hands.

"The _book_. You know, the one he cherishes more than his own life?" Sakura whined. Touya was usually one to catch on quickly.

"The old man would give up his own life for a hell of a lot, Sakura. You're going to have to be more specific," he demanded, glaring. Groaning, Sakura leaned back against the wall to take a moment to think and put together the thoughts rushing through her head.

It was only a couple of hours until sunrise and they planned to leave as soon as they could see the road clearly. Tomoyo wouldn't like it, but she would have to get used to it. Frowning as the thought of Tomoyo came to her mind, Sakura started to fiddle with the pendant around her neck.

"He started writing a book when he first became king," she muttered quietly. Touya, however, heard her.

"Why?" he wondered.

"Sorcerers make it a habit to keep a log of their progress," Sakura explained. "So they can pass on whatever they learn or accomplish to the next generation." Touya nodded slowly, not completely educated in the ways of magical beings.

"Anyway," she continued. "When he found me, he told me he wasn't going to finish it. Clow somehow knew that he wasn't going to be able to." Sakura frowned, deep in concentration. She had only remembered this talk when she had been listening to Tomoyo give her own explanation.

"Is that all he said?" Touya asked, staring as his younger sister. Biting her lip, Sakura decided to redo her ponytail, removing the holder and running her fingers through her long hair.

"Yes," she answered. "He said, _My dear young soul, you are a very powerful and potential being. Someday my life's secrets will be passed on to you, yet it will not be a complete works. In a book I have supplied myself with, you will turn to the last page I have written on and start writing yourself. Where to start, you may ask? You will know,_" Sakura finished. Touya, rolling his eyes, slouched over.

"The old goon is always a cryptic," he grumbled. Glaring daggers at the older man, Sakura stretched out her leg and kicked him.

"Don't you dare speak ill of him!" she demanded. Rubbing the place where her foot made contact, Touya muttered an apology. "I also might have an idea as to why Clow thinks he knows what will happen to him," she announced, which caught Touya's full attention.

"If you say he had a premonition, I'm going back to bed," Touya replied, looking at her skeptically. "I may have zoned out during the magic part of lessons, but even I know nothing can see the future." Sakura nodded, rolling her eyes.

"Yes, I know, but if you _did_ listen during our lessons, you would know that there is only one sorcerer for every magical bloodline at a time, regardless of how spread out they are," she explained. Nodding slowly, Touya signaled that he was going to need some more information. Sighing, Sakura complied. "Clow had a relationship with a non-magical person. That resulted in dad. Then dad married mom, had you, and then me." Touya had his eyes narrowed, trying to sort out their family tree.

"Why in the world does it matter if he had sex with someone without magic?" he demanded.

"First, sorcerers have a longer lifespan than those without magic. Some religions on the other side of the world consider us immortals," Sakura was starting to sound like a teacher. Touya kept listening, though, knowing that any serious talk they had was important. "Second, that means the offspring have little to no chance of inheriting special abilities. In case you've forgotten, dad didn't have any abilities," she noted. Touya nodded slightly.

"We, however, lucked out. Mom's family bloodline had traces of magic in it. So, when you came along, you were given the ability to sense and see magic and speak with the other side, am I right?" Sakura raised an eyebrow at Touya, who looked as though he was having trouble keeping up. "I know magic was never your thing, but this is more like history than anything else." Touya's deadpan look turned into a glare and Sakura continued.

"Then I came along and by some twist of fate, I became the next full-fledged sorcerer in the bonded Reed-Amamiya bloodline," she finished. Touya took a moment to soak all of this in.

"So… why do I need to know this?" he asked. Sakura, gritting her teeth, resisted the urge to slap her older brother for not knowing a thing about the stuff that she herself knew like the back of her hand.

"Like I stated earlier, there can only be one sorcerer at a time in a bloodline. I shouldn't have come along until Clow was—" Sakura stopped abruptly as she and Touya quickly stood and regarded the squeaking of a door opening.

"Did you hear that?" Touya whispered unnecessarily, pulling a knife out of his belt. Sakura nodded and stealthily crept to their room, listening in to see if Tomoyo was disturbed. Sure that the mysterious brunette was still fast asleep, Sakura motioned to Touya that it was clear as he quietly made his way to the other end of the hall. Looking around the corner, he barely noticed Sakura behind him, pulling out her own dagger. As he turned to mouth 'clear' to Sakura, he froze as he saw her eyes widen. Whipping his head around to check the hall once more, Touya caught the slanted shape of a shadow against the wall, made by the dim candlelit hallway. As the shadow moved, however, a human figure formed.

In a nervous rush, Touya and Sakura pressed themselves against the wall, holding their breath. Sakura was about to release a bit of her aura to use protective magic, but Touya gripped her hand tightly, warning her against it. Gritting her teeth, Sakura obliged. Hearing something odd, however, she nudged Touya lightly. Nodding, Touya signaled that he heard it, too.

As the figure started to come into sight, Sakura slumped a bit in confusion as she saw straight black hair and a flannel nightgown. Touya did the same as the sound became clear: the young woman humming folklore.

"I know you're there," Naoko giggled. The siblings stayed where they were, just in case, as the stench of alcohol hit them. Naoko, however, twirled around to face them with a smile on her face. "Found you!" she giggled again. Sakura, a little unnerved, eyed her suspiciously. The young innkeeper seemed a bit off, even while drunk.

"Congratulations," she replied. She slipped her own dagger into Touya's other hand, hoping Naoko wouldn't notice, knowing her older brother was more skilled with two than she was with one. Using herself as a sort of decoy, Sakura started talking. "What's going on?" she inquired. Shrugging, Naoko answered casually.

"I need to fetch something… would you like to come along?" she grinned at Touya. The glasses that rimmed her face gleamed eerily in the dim light.

"No, thank you. We should probably be getting back to bed." Sakura smiled back, Touya rigid. Nodding, Naoko's grin automatically turned into a frown.

"I agree. You've really ruined everything. How can I possible get my family's fortune back?" Naoko muttered as she walked away, continuing down the hall. The siblings glanced at each other once before following her.

"May I ask what you mean?" Sakura asked in the sweetest voice she could muster. They were headed down the stairs to the ground floor, where guests checked in, ate, and lounged. Naoko tapped her chin with her index finger as she answered.

"You sure are nicer in the middle of the night than you are before bed. But you know how the Lis are… so mean. When they took down that reckless Clow Reed I was sure they would form a better government, knowing how the Borderlands are against both kingdoms," Naoko went on. Sakura and Touya shot each other confused glances. They knew what the Border, or Borderlands, was. It was a strip of land between the Li Kingdom and the now fallen Reed Kingdom filled with people who felt they shouldn't be faithful to either monarchy, disagreeing with both methods of government.

"What happened to your family's fortune that has to do with the Lis?" Sakura pried. Touya stayed silent and stealthy, on edge.

"My family, gone!" Naoko cried out, startling Sakura, who was walking rather close to the innkeeper. "They demanded my father and brothers be taken as soldiers. And my mother? They killed her to convince them to do it! But luckily I wasn't home," Naoko giggled.

"So they've been forcing people to join their military?" Sakura asked, surprised. Naoko nodded thoughtfully and sighed.

"I guess it makes sense. Until they can actually kill Clow Reed, that kingdom will always be a threat. It was rather foolish of him not to have an heir, wasn't it?" Naoko noted. "But not only that, they were taking money! Money, can you believe that? What in the world would they need money for?" she complained. Every time she spoke she seemed as if she were either talking to herself or to someone miles away. The trio made it to the kitchen, walking through the back door and headed in the direction of an old, rundown shed.

"But, you know," Naoko continued. "They're offering reward money. What do you think? After that fit you threw earlier, Ai, I'm saying redemption is in order!" Naoko exclaimed excitedly. Sakura took a moment to realize Naoko was talking directly to her. Touya had fallen a few feet behind the two girls.

"What exactly are you talking about, Naoko? Reward money for what?" Sakura tried to act as excited as Naoko seemed to be.

"For fugitives, of course," Naoko laughed out loud. "Dead or alive! The flyers they gave me this morning were lifesaving," Naoko sighed. "Unfortunately, Sir, your new little wife was on one of them." Sakura slowed to a stop right behind Naoko. She glanced back at Touya, whose mouth was slightly hung open.

"Fugitives? Naoko, what on earth are you talking about?" Sakura muttered.

"Yes!" Naoko answered simply as she opened the shed door. Stepping inside, she kept talking. Sakura, however, slowly started to back away, not being able to see past Naoko and into the shed. "I'm so sorry, Sir," Naoko said.

"What?" Touya seemed to be shocked. Naoko didn't answer right away as she sifted through a pile of junk. Touya moved to stand next to Sakura.

"For your wife, of course," Naoko finally answered. Touya didn't respond this time, a grim look set on his face. As Naoko emerged from the shed, however, Touya immediately went into defensive mode. Sakura gasped and tried to do the same, only to slam her ankle hard against a large rock laying on the ground. "Poor thing, only wanted dead. I don't think I saw alive on that particular poster… Oh, Ai, are you all right?" Naoko looked genuinely concerned. Sakura grit her teeth as she stared at Naoko, gripping her ankle tightly. Naoko stood in front of Touya and Sakura, looking rather clueless as she held a rusted old sword.

"Y-yes," Sakura smiled painfully at Naoko. "Look, I think you're mistaken about Naoko…"

"Oh, no, her name isn't Naoko. It's Tomoyo Daidouji. And while I'm glad you're okay, I'm afraid you're going to endure quite a few more injuries…"

"Excuse me?" Sakura glared at Naoko.

"Accomplices have to be killed, too, of course. We can't have you two harboring anymore fugitives," Naoko stated as a matter-of-factly. "I hope you understand." She smiled at Sakura's glare. Sakura took a deep breath and stood slowly. Touya started to inch his way toward Naoko.

"Completely. This place really is lovely. It just needs some work. And you could do that if you had that reward money," Sakura reasoned. Naoko nodded excitedly as she advanced on Sakura, paying no attention to Touya. "But I wonder…" Naoko paused, looking at Sakura curiously. "Can you kill?"

Naoko laughed. "Of cou-" She was cut short as Touya jumped at her, quickly embedding one dagger in her head and slicing her throat with the other for good measure. Sakura jumped back quickly, out of range of the blood spewing out of Naoko's body.

Touya quickly dragged Naoko's body into the shed and closed the door. Returning to Sakura, the two took a moment to calm down, absorbing everything they had just learned.

"I already knew the Lis wanted Tomoyo for some reason, based off of her story, but to go this far?" Touya wondered aloud. Sakura, with a worried look on her face, didn't respond as she headed back to the kitchen. Touya was close behind. As the sun hit the horizon, the siblings ransacked the kitchen for anything they could carry, something that had become routine to them. After cleaning his weapons in a sink still full of dishes, they headed back upstairs with their loot, making their footsteps sound calm in case there were any employees staying at the inn.

"Guys, were you aware that this place has no running water? I can't bathe at all…" Tomoyo started as the siblings entered the room but slowed to a stop as she saw them. "Where did you get all of that? And are you covered in blood, Touya? What—"

"No questions," Touya grunted as he crossed the room and replaced his shirt with a spare one. Stuffing the dirty shirt into a bag, he started organizing their new supplies. Sakura disappeared for a few minutes and eventually trudged back up the stairs, carrying a basin full of water and a wash cloth.

"There's running water," Sakura stated. "But you're never going to see any anywhere but the kitchen and the community bathroom in an inn this large loacted in a town this small." She knelt in front of Tomoyo, who had been sitting on the edge of one of the two beds in the room.

"Seriously?" Tomoyo frowned. She didn't like that very much. "Wait, what is going on?" she demanded. Sakura glanced up at her as she started tending to Tomoyo's feet. Tomoyo cried out and flinched away, but Sakura held her foot firmly.

"We have enough time to bandage you up and get something in our stomachs. Then we leave," Sakura muttered. Touya came over with a handful of clean strips of cloth and a medicinal ointment that he had found downstairs. He started working on Tomoyo's hand. Tears started to run down Tomoyo's face as the siblings refrained from taking the time to be gentle with her wounds.

"If we move quickly enough, we could make it to the capital by nightfall," Touya announced as he wrapped a fresh bandage tightly around Tomoyo's hand. Sakura started wrapping cloth around her feet after applying a generous dose of the ointment.

"Well, then, I guess we won't make it tonight," Sakura replied. Glaring, Touya stood up.

"Why the hell not?" Sakura started to put Tomoyo's boots on her, careful to ensure the bandages stayed in place. Tomoyo groaned and winced. Sakura's spare boots were too small for her.

"Because, someone is in a bit of danger right now," Sakura explained.

"Huh? Who?" Tomoyo temporarily forgot her pain and discomfort, standing slowly as she transferred her weight to her newly cleaned feet.

"You," the siblings said at the same time. Touya sighed dramatically. Tomoyo looked startled.

"That shirt is too small for you," Sakura observed. "Touya, give her another spare." Touya looked Tomoyo over and, seeming to agree, started digging through a bag. Finding what he was looking for, he tossed it to Tomoyo and promptly turned the other way. Sakura did the same, expecting Tomoyo to start undressing. Tomoyo did so slowly.

"Me?" she asked when finished. Sakura turned around and looked Tomoyo over again. The new shirt was way too big, but it looked much better than the previous one. Taking the shirt that Tomoyo had just removed, Sakura tore a long strip off of it and tied it around Tomoyo's waist. Now she looked like a presentable peasant instead of a poor one.

"Why would the Lis kill your family and burn down your house and just leave you behind?" Touya asked gently. Tomoyo flinched, the words still harsh. She nodded, though, understanding.

"What do I have to do?" she asked quietly, sitting back down. Touya grabbed a loaf of bread for the three of them to split.

"We cut all this off," Sakura answered after thinking for a moment, gesturing to Tomoyo's hair. Touya nodded in agreement as he handed out their portions, noticeably giving Tomoyo the largest one.

"W-what?" Tomoyo pushed herself back up and away from the siblings, holding her beautiful hair in her hands. "No way!"

"Come on," Sakura stood, chewing on her food. She threw a bag at Tomoyo who nearly dropped her bread catching it. "We can't do it here." Sakura and Touya left, Tomoyo stumbling behind them.

"We could just not cut my hair at all…" Tomoyo suggested, rushing to keep up with the other two. "What about hair dye?" she said brightly. Sakura looked back at her, an odd look on her face.

"We're peasants, Tomoyo. Where in the world are we going to get something like that and keep up with it?" she pointed out. Tomoyo sighed.

Once the trio left the small village, they broke off the rode and into a field, going in a different direction than they had the night before. About an hour passed with Tomoyo grumbling about her hair and the pain of getting used to Sakura's small boots. As they walked, Tomoyo had time to think of the events that had happened to her in the past few days. The two siblings walking in front of her intrigued her more than anything and she quietly became determined to learn more about them.

Soon enough, the travelers made their way into a small group of trees and sat. Touya and Sakura gave Tomoyo a few minutes to rest. The dark haired woman looked around her slowly, taking in the environment.

"Wait," she said suddenly. Touya's usual deadpan look didn't change, but Sakura muttered a 'what?' as she pulled out her dagger. "Spinel?" Tomoyo said loudly, causing the siblings to glare at her.

"Keep it down," Touya growled. "What's a Spinel?" Sakura stared at Tomoyo with the same question.

"Sakura, you saw the two orbs of light when you first saw me, didn't you?" Tomoyo asked, panicked. Sakura nodded slowly.

"Yes, your guardians," she stated. Tomoyo nodded, hoping the auburn haired girl had an answer. "Spinel, as you seem to call it," Tomoyo nodded, confirming, "was with us in the clearing when I was bandaging your hand." Tomoyo looked at the fresh cloth wrapped around her hand, something she had tried very hard not to cry over. "Regardless of Touya disabling you for life," Sakura glared at Touya, who knew Tomoyo would never be able to use her hand again. "Spinel saw us as more capable guardians and left to find his…" Sakura thought of a way to put it. What was she to the guardian in her pendant? Tomoyo waited patiently for Sakura to finish. "He left to find a power source."

Taking a moment to let this sink in, Tomoyo didn't notice Sakura scoot behind her and take the poor girl's hair in her hand. Tomoyo did notice, however, when she felt a tug and a weight was lifted from her head. Eyes wide, Tomoyo slowly and shakily ran her fingers through her hair, which was now, mostly, shoulder length.

"Well," Sakura grinned at Tomoyo's horror. "Now that that's over with, you won't have any problem with me making it look presentable." Taking a small chunk of the horrified girl's hair, Sakura continued to do her best to cut it. Soon, Tomoyo had hair that was just past her chin and bangs, all the same length.

"It's so… it's so…" Tomoyo stuttered, unable to finish as she held her head in her hands.

"Not you," Touya eventually finished for her as he stood. "Now we need to get back to the road. I want to be on the outskirts of the capital by sunset." Sakura nodded and stood, helping Tomoyo up and strapped a bag to her back. Sakura scattered Tomoyo's lost hair in a dense section of bushes. Calming down a bit, Tomoyo asked a question that had been bugging her.

"If the Lis are after us, why are we going right to them?" Sakura didn't answer for a while, making Tomoyo antsy.

"_You_. They're after you. We were already headed there when we found you; we're not going to change our plans now. Besides, what better place to hide than right under the enemies' nose?"


	4. Chapter 4

"You went to finishing school, right?" Sakura stared intently at Tomoyo from the other side of the blazing fire. Touya paid the girls no mind as he sat back against a tree, sharpening all of their weapons. In the dark night sky, shining stars could be seen, but were dimmed from their usual glow by the city lights nearby. Other fires could be seen scattered along the roadside, surrounded by other travelers seeking entrance to the city. Tomoyo was shocked to see how big the capital, Tsui, was. Named after the late King, the great city reflected his power greatly. Just being camped outside the walls, Tomoyo knew the streets bustled with life and thriving businesses, even after the sun set, and she had never even set foot in the enemy's territory.

"Well, yes," Tomoyo thought for a moment. "Didn't you?"

"No," Sakura answered simply. Tomoyo was surprised, but Sakura continued before she could ask any more questions. "We need some way to survive in the city. You were raised very sheltered, thus you don't have any defensive skills I'm sure. And you're not eighteen yet, are you?" Tomoyo should her head no. "Then you haven't practiced any diplomatic skills outside your home, either," Sakura continued. After thinking for a moment, she went on. "When your instructors at finishing school noticed you had a particular knack for something, they probably pushed you to refine the skill, so you could be sent home with a particular talent to practice for the rest of your life. Most wealthy households like their daughters to have a hobby to fill their time." Sakura scratched her head. "Do you have any talents?"

"All of that is correct," Tomoyo answered, frowning. "After my instructors heard me sing for the first time, I was encouraged to spend most of my free time practicing… along with sewing. I made nearly every one of my dresses myself." Tomoyo explained. "How could you know any of that? Did you and Touya come from a high class family also?" She looked back and forth between the two. "I would say it makes sense, considering our mothers were friends. I don't believe my mother ever had the opportunity to get close to anyone less privileged than herself."

Sakura didn't answer, but Touya offered a snort of disdain. Sakura waived her hand in the air, moving on.

"We need work and if there's something you're great at, you should find a job that uses it. You'll be more successful that way. Touya already has a plan and I'll figure something out eventually. Touya should be able to find us a place to live, too," she explained.

"So we all must work for a living," Tomoyo concluded. Sakura smiled brightly and nodded. "I suppose I should have realized it beforehand… my life is changed, I can no longer expect the future that I was raised to have." Tomoyo frowned.

"You could say that. But you'll have food and a roof over your head. I guarantee it," Sakura stated. Tomoyo's head swiveled to face Touya, who was agreeing with Sakura.

"Right. At dawn I'm going to go into the city to look for a job as an apprentice blacksmith," Touya said. Interested, Tomoyo fully faced him.

"Blacksmith?" she inquired.

"Yes. A metal worker," Touya explained simply.

"Yes, I know, but why a blacksmith?" Tomoyo pushed. Touya sighed and rubbed his palm against his forehead.

"Because I already know the work," he said. "If I act the part of a prodigy, we'll probably be more successful." Tomoyo nodded as her attention was drawn back to Sakura, who had begun digging through her pack.

"What are you doing?" Tomoyo asked. Sakura didn't answer, but kept looking through the bag. After several minutes, a satisfied grunt came from the young girl as she straightened up with something in her hand. "What is that?" Sakura grinned at Tomoyo and walked closer to the light of the fire.

"This," Sakura held a folded up piece of fabric in her hands, "is your dress." Tomoyo stared at the dress with her mouth hanging open, looking rather stupid. She stood slowly and moved to stand next to Sakura, her good two inches over the other girl doing no good against Sakura's confident stature.

"You still have this? Whatever for? It's disgusting," Tomoyo frowned, displeased with the mud, stains, and rips covering the dress.

"We'll both be needing more suitable clothes if we want to make a good impression. Especially you," Sakura explained. "Even in this condition, it's worth plenty of money. Did you make this one? We could even use it as a demonstration, to get you work in some sort of textile shop. Maybe someone would trade for it if no one is willing to pay what it's worth." Sakura smiled genuinely and put it back inside the bag.

Tomoyo sat back down, next to the fire. She kept nodding slowly, going over the plan in her head. She started tugging at the bandages on her hand, a bad habit she had gotten into. Some time passed with the three of them sitting in silence, either busying themselves or watching the stars.

Tomoyo replayed the last few weeks of her life in her head, mourning the deaths of her family and friends. She thought of glowing beings who had somehow led her to safety. She pondered the value of her own life. Why was she saved? What was her purpose now that everything she had ever known was gone? The strangers in front of her, Sakura and Touya, terrified her with their secrecy. But she loved them all the same. What's one or two days with a stranger when the same person could have taken your entire life away from you? Tomoyo knew, deep in her heart, that she would never be able to repay the siblings. She may have been to hell and back, but it was obvious that these two had had it much worse.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, breaking the silence. Tears started sliding down her face. She received no response. "With the downfall of the Reed Kingdom and the Lis storming the entire country for whatever it is they're after, life has turned into the survival of the fittest. I am not strong, nor do I have any sense of what it's like to survive in the real world. It has been such a short time since I woke up in a large feather bed and ate a breakfast fit for a queen… and yet it seems like so long ago. I still don't know what it's like to be poor. To have to steal food in order to survive. But looking back now… could this bind on my hand be worth a warm meal? Or the bandages on my feet, could they be worth a night at an inn? I can't imagine what the ointment healing my wounds could buy." Tomoyo choked on her tears, sniffling. "I don't know why you decided to help me but I can't imagine being anything more than a burden to the two of you. So while I am sorry, I should also be saying thank you. Because I am not the fittest." Tomoyo whispered the words, holding out for a sense of understanding. Several more minutes passed in silence, neither of the siblings moving. A soft breeze picked up and warped the flames of the campfire, creating intimidating shadows against the thick trees and drying the tearstains on Tomoyo's face.

"Tomoyo." Tomoyo looked up in surprise, blinking rapidly to clear her vision. Sakura was watching her with a lost look in her eyes. "The only reason I'm alive today is because of Touya. I only know the basics of self-defense and even then, I could never stand up to a trained soldier… Maybe I've made myself out to be some kind of tough girl ready to take on the world. But I would kill just to wash my hair and wear a pretty dress. But those emotions… any emotions could be the death of me. Touya didn't want you with us. But I did, so he let you come anyway." Tomoyo saw Touya watch Sakura with a look of pain in his eyes. Tomoyo somehow knew that Touya would never allow Sakura to see it.

"Tomoyo, I believe that there is a reason you're with us. I know there is, actually. But until we know what that reason is, we can't do anything that would hurt each other. We can't pretend you're not one of us now. Because this isn't survival of the fittest… we're being massacred," Sakura finished. Tomoyo was unsure of what to say. Sakura had opened up, even just a little bit, and it was to make Tomoyo feel better about herself. Tomoyo thought for sure that letting her own feelings show would be a terrible mistake. But as the numbness of her adventure started to wear off, Sakura was becoming more understanding. Tomoyo couldn't tell through her own tears, but she wanted to think that she saw a wetness to Sakura's eyes as well.

"Get some sleep," Sakura ordered suddenly. Several minutes had passed. "We have a lot to do in the morning." She grabbed her pack and lay down at the edge of the clearing. Using the bag as a pillow, she faced away from the fire and her traveling companions. Tomoyo looked to Touya, who had seemed to relax and was eyeing her wearily.

"What?" she asked softly. He simply shrugged and went back to what he had been doing. Tomoyo set herself next to the fire and stared at the leaping flames until she fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Touya stood slowly and silently. Tiredly looking around the campfire that had long ago sputtered out, he confirmed that Tomoyo was still sleeping. When his eyes laid on Sakura, he wasn't surprised to find her looking at him.

"Do you ever sleep?" he complained quietly. Sakura shrugged, staying where she was.

"You know I can't," she reasoned. Touya nodded slowly in understanding. As his eyes found their way to Tomoyo once again, his face held no emotion as he observed her sleeping figure. After so much time traveling alone with his sister it was refreshing and troubling to have another female in their midst. His eyes trailed over her body, which he had often noticed had curves in all the right places. He firmly reminded himself that, no, he was not lusting after the girl. Was she attractive? Of course, but the twenty-three year old man wasn't about to act on it. Yes, she reached womanhood when she turned sixteen, but women were never offered any type of experience in anything but woman's work until they were eighteen. And Touya didn't like that kind of naivety.

Running his fingers through his hair, Touya sighed as he picked up his pack. Then, without waving goodbye to Sakura, Touya left their campsite, headed for the road that led to the gates of the city. He reminded himself that Tsui itself wasn't nearly as intimidating as it seemed, it was simply the large palace in the background, its estate taking up nearly the entire view anyone in the area had of the horizon. Slouching over slightly with his bag loosely hanging off of his shoulder, Touya regarded the guards with a tired look.

"Who wishes to seek entrance to the mighty city of Tsui?" a guard questioned seriously. There were two of them stationed on either side of the large wooden gate. Touya noted that it would be quite simple to break through, but kept in mind that the rest of the barrier consisted of solid stone.

"Jiro," Touya said gruffly, responding in the language the people of Tsui used yet with a heavy accent of the Borderlands. The other guard smiled boyishly.

"Another one of ya choosing a side, eh?" he asked. Touya was surprised at this new knowledge but said nothing as the young man looked him over. Touya, naturally, always had his feet planted in the ground in a ready fighting stance when he stood, which happened to be the case as the young guard studied him. "What is it you did over there?"

"I helped thinkin' of strategies to overtake the capital Tsui, it being so close to the border 'n all. None o' us thought it would be too hard," 'Jiro' explained. The guards stared at him for a moment with their mouths hanging open. Then, as if a light switched on, they both burst out laughing.

"Hey, Yamazaki, this guy's all right," the first guard that spoke stated. Yamazaki grinned.

"I agree," he moved to open the gate. Touya, looking a little confused, spoke.

"Ya'll don't believe me?" he said in a slow voice, keeping the accent heavy and the look of stupidity he'd adopted clear on his face. Yamazaki raised an eyebrow at him.

"Everyone in these parts knows the origin of the city. Where you been?" he questioned. Touya knew full well why Tsui was located nearly right on the border. This was the hometown of King Tsui, who moved the capital simply because he could. In the past, the land the Lis now controlled was run very similarly to Reed's kingdom. The King or Queen would choose whomever they thought best fit for the throne, whether or not they were related. The only difference really was that the Reed kingdom sought after powerful sorcerers to run the kingdom. This kingdom outlawed magic. But many years had passed since either kingdom worked so similarly. The Li family took over this part of the country nearly one hundred years ago, a few years after Clow Reed had claimed power. The Lis turned on the traditional setting and formed themselves into a higher monarchy, pushing their beliefs on their people and handing the crown off to the eldest son in line. Eventually, when King Tsui took the crown, he moved the capital as a show of power to the Reed Kingdom.

"So the rest of the kingdom is safe 'n sound, what with armies only goin' after the royal family," Touya responded. The young man knew for a fact, though, that this was not the real case. It was, in reality, just the king's way to show control.

"Smarter than ya look, Jiro," Yamazaki grinned. "Don't get into too much trouble." Touya nodded lazily as the gate was opened, letting him into the city.

As he walked along the streets, he took in the shacks that acted as houses to the poor. They lined the outskirts of the city. Touya didn't look twice at the beggars who held out broken cups and dirty bowls to him, begging for pity and money. The young man moved quickly, using a hazy memory to guide himself to the center of Tsui.

The further in he walked the more Touya noticed larger houses. Along with that, though, his dark eyes widened slightly with every step he took. He found more and more beggars, the majority being children, still scattered throughout the area. Disgusted, Touya ran his fingers through his dark brown hair and took a right turn. He was immediately struck with a crowded street with vendors yelling unimportant information and merchants flinging their merchandise at passersby. With an odd sense of recollection, Touya's confidence grew as he turned to a street filled with clothing shops and exactly what he was looking for: blacksmiths.

He had never really understood the idea to group so many of the same stores together, competing for business. As Touya continued down the street, he ignored the group of blacksmiths that glared moodily at him as he passed by. Touya wasn't looking for such a loud and risky hideout. He moved smoothly through the crowds of girls and women surrounding the clothing and fabric stores, not paying attention to the swooning looks he received. In no time at all, Touya stood in front of a blacksmith shop he thought looked perfect. The windows were dark, but wiped clean. The door was wide open, welcoming customers, but not forcing them into business. Grinning slightly, Touya entered the clean shop.

"Hello?" he called in a clear voice, using the language the blacksmith would most likely speak. His tone held no accent he was foreign to, just his natural tone. A gruff, scratchy voice replied.

"Yeah, be right there, sonny," a man addressed him from the back of the shop. Touya frowned at the name, but thought nothing of it when he caught sight of the man walking toward him. Deep wrinkles and scars were etched into his face and a long white beard framed his jawline. Touya grinned inwardly as he saw the cane the old man was leaning on. "What is it you want, boy?" he asked, not unkindly. Touya held out his hand and the old man shook it firmly.

"I'm looking for some well needed work," Touya explained. The old man raised his eyebrow.

"Why, you look at me and see an old brittle man, incapable of holding out such a business, don't you?" the old man questioned. Touya gave him a look of surprise.

"Well, I," Touya was cut off by a laugh. The old man's head was thrown back, heaving out gasps of air and sound that resembled a chortle.

"Well, it's true, I am," the old man smiled. "Unfortunately, this old place doesn't get enough business for any of that. So I'm afraid I can't help ya, lad." Touya frowned slightly.

"Well, how are you gonna get any business with an attitude like that?" The old man laughed again, clapping Touya on the back.

* * *

"Tomoyo," Sakura called out, staring at the sleeping girl. She still hadn't moved from her own sleeping position, causing her to cramp up, but she took no notice of it. "Tomoyo!" Sakura called out again, this time louder. The girl stirred, her newly cropped hair falling into her face. Frowning, Sakura decided she needn't try any harder, knowing that they still had a few hours until they should go to the city.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura lay on her back and let the air whoosh out. She laced her fingers together and let them rest on her flat stomach. With her hair sprawled around herself, Sakura was reminded of the days when she had settled down like this, so content, as a little girl on a picnic with her mother. Together they would lie on their backs, heads side by side, and looked at either the clouds or the stars, whichever was out when they left the comfort of their home. Often times they would lay on the grass outside their estate for hours, not saying a word. Sakura smiled at this thought, knowing that although they had never said anything aloud, the mother and daughter always had their best conversations that way.

With her mind in such a calm and serene state, Sakura hesitantly undid the latch that kept the pack on her hips closed. Pulling out two large cards, the green eyed brunette held them in front of her face. Before her were the two cards that she had made during the traveling she and her brother had endured. Walking from their hometown all the way to Tsui took them nearly three months. With the first card she made being locked in the palace of Clow Reed, however, Sakura yearned to go back, even though she had been told not to. She knew she couldn't.

The Light and The Dark stared back at her as these thoughts were tumbling through the sorceress' head. Sakura was suddenly very conscious of the pendant that hung around her neck, a gift from one of her role models. It hung low enough to be hidden beneath her clothes. Holding the cards in one hand, she slowly lifted the pendant into her line of vision. The key was made of a substance she didn't know of and was never able to figure out in the time she had it. As the light of the rising sun caught the pendant, the light was reflected, sending a beam of light to Sakura's right. Turning her head to the side, her eyes laid on Tomoyo, who was still fast asleep.

Sakura knew how brave Tomoyo tried to be. She admired this, but knew that the naïve girl also tried too hard to act as if she knew what was going on. Or that she didn't want to cry. Usually Sakura would have left the girl at the first town they had run into, knowing that another burden would simply make her life's mission more difficult. After the out of body experience she had in the clearing she tried to do her ritual in, though, she knew that Tomoyo was a significant piece of the puzzle she was trying to solve. Sakura felt sorry for the girl she was slowly coming to think of as a friend, although she knew that the feeling probably wasn't mutual. She was so hard on Tomoyo. After such a tragic incident, she was unknowingly forced to trek the length of the country in a few days and—

Sakura's thought process slowed and then stopped. A few days? Yes, it only took the trio one day to cross the Borderlands, but the center of the strip of land was the thinnest in the rebellion. Sakura and Touya used to live on the far end of Reed's Kingdom, and took as many detours as they could to get to where they are now. Tomoyo came from Misaki, did she not? That was at least two days away from Tomoeda, meaning it was two days farther from the border, where the siblings found the poor girl.

So, the question was clear. How had Tomoyo crossed the entire Reed Kingdom in only a few days? Sakura sat up slowly, tucking her cards safely back in their container and slipping her pendant under her shirt. She took a few calming breaths, scolding herself for not noticing such an obvious detail earlier. When her nerves were completely under control, Sakura stood steadily to her feet without making a sound. Then, resolutely, Sakura took a few long strides to the campfire. Beside the nonexistent fire, Tomoyo slept peacefully, as if everything were right with the world.

Did the girl have magic? No, Sakura and Touya knew that for a fact. Was she an enemy? The immediate answer was no, but there was no proof. Sakura stood directly above Tomoyo, staring at her intensely. Feeling a set of eyes on her, Tomoyo twitched uncomfortably in her sleep. As Sakura stared at the girl, scrutinizing her, Sakura couldn't help the feelings of distrust flooding into her. All friendship she had thought to make with the girl was gone. Would she let Tomoyo know this? No, not at all. After all, the siblings could be sleeping with the enemy.


	5. Chapter 5

"I want you to speak as little as you possibly can, okay?" Sakura said as she threw Tomoyo a bag to carry. Tomoyo barely caught it with her good hand as she gave Sakura confused look.

"But I can speak the language, I don't see why—"

"What story do you think you could use to explain why we're here, Tomoyo?" Sakura questioned, slightly glaring at the younger girl. Tomoyo bit her lip and said nothing, knowing there was no need for a reply. Tomoyo held her breath as she scrutinized Sakura. As the shock of the past few days was starting to wear off and Tomoyo was finding that her wit was returning. But she still found herself feeling like a little girl and stumbling over her words around Sakura and her brother.

"Well, what are you going to tell them?" she questioned. Sakura flinched, something that was barely noticed by Tomoyo.

"You'll find out," Sakura replied, without skipping a beat. Tomoyo nodded slowly, trying to come up with the excuse that Sakura would use.

"What do you want me to do, then?" she asked. Sakura approached Tomoyo.

"Nothing. Just wait until we can find you a job. Do you have any problems with that?" Sakura asked. Her tone was never unkind with Tomoyo, but she always suspected the brunette held her tongue more often than not when speaking with her.

"No, but what will you be doing?" Tomoyo asked. Sakura grinned slightly.

"I have a few tricks up my sleeve," she answered. Tomoyo frowned in disapproval.

"I'm starting to think you should be more honest with me," she said. Sakura sighed.

"Maybe knowing too much will get you into more trouble than you're already in," Sakura pointed out. Tomoyo chewed on her lower lip, upset.

"But will you tell me if it concerns me or our well being?" Tomoyo requested. Sakura started walking to the road, Tomoyo close behind her. Sakura found the request simple and it made sense, Tomoyo was a part of their party; she should know what's going on as long as it involves her. But the thought of sharing any sort of information with a possible enemy made Sakura cringe.

"Of course," Sakura smiled. Whether or not she was lying, however, Sakura wasn't sure about yet.

As they made it to the road and headed for Tsui, they encountered no other travelers. Confused by this, Sakura slowed their pace. In the morning light, Sakura could very clearly see the city less than a mile away, along with the outlines of soldiers guarding the wooden gate. Chewing on her lip, Sakura made a decision and linked arms with Tomoyo.

"What are you doing?" Tomoyo asked, rather loudly. Glaring at her, Sakura held herself back from smacking the girl.

"Two girls, alone on the road, what do you think those guards will think when they see us? They could abandon their post and rape us, or they could find us suspicious if we acted as if we had just met each other," Sakura began pointing out.

Tomoyo frowned. "But we _have_ just met, and we have no reason to be scared, do we? I mean—"

"How dense are you?!" Sakura demanded harshly, getting annoyed. "I know common sense isn't frequent among teenage girls, but _I _can hold myself together! So why the hell can't you do the same? As far as we know, the Lis are looking for you!" Sakura's outburst shut Tomoyo up and she gripped Sakura's arm tightly. Ignoring her, though, Sakura put a nervous look on her face as they approached the guards. When they were a few feet away, they started to slow down and eventually came to a stop in front of two young, tired looking men staring at them with an interest that showed they hadn't done anything but stand there for awhile.

"Who goes there?" the man on the right asked, not even bothering to sound like he cared.

Hesitating for show, Sakura answered, "I'm Akane and this is my cousin Aria, sir." Saying so meekly, Sakura looked like a scared rabbit; much to Tomoyo's concealed surprise. The man on the left regarded them interestedly.

"You know, a young man not too much older than the two of you was one of the last to request entry this morning, before this road became a ghost town. He looked a lot like ya," the guard said. Sakura let a smile brighten up her face.

"Is that so? Did he go by the name of Jiro?" Sakura waited for a nod of approval and continued. "Why, that's a relative of ours! We hadn't seen him in years when he sent for us, said he was done with the Borderlands and told us to head on over here for a new life," Sakura was speaking enthusiastically. The guard with darker hair grinned boyishly.

"Pretty smart of him, I'd say. Rumor has it this great kingdom is going to end this rut once and for all. A lot of the citizens on the other end just won't give up saying Reed is still alive and well," he stated. Genuine shock spread across Sakura's face, something Tomoyo noticed.

"Really? They must be pretty loyal down South, with King Reed not showing himself for a few months now," Sakura pondered. The guards nodded and they started opening up the gate.

"Not very smart of them, though," the same guard that previously spoke smiled at the girls as they walked through. The gate closing behind them, Sakura didn't move for a few moments as she became lost in thought. Tomoyo scrutinized her closely for the time, memorizing her facial features, but soon became distracted by the amount of poor, dirty people on the street. Thinking Sakura had become momentarily daft, Tomoyo tugged on Sakura's arm to get them moving. Jumping out of her reverie, Sakura nodded as she led Tomoyo toward the center of Tsui. Sakura paid no mind to the beggars Tomoyo couldn't keep her eyes off of.

"We're going to be one of them?" Tomoyo asked wide eyed.

Sakura sighed. "No, we're not." Tomoyo bit her lip and nodded as they approached a merchant on the side of the street. "Excuse me," Sakura grinned cheekily, gaining the merchant's attention.

"Yes, how may I help you lovely young ladies?" the merchant asked. He was rather old with a bald head and a snow white beard, with eyes that seemed rather grandfatherly.

"Do you know where we could exchange some items for money, sir? Or perhaps clothes?" Sakura asked in a sweet voice.

"Why, you can do that right here!" the man said enthusiastically. "The name is Kagi, may I ask yours?" he inquired. Sakura smiled and nodded.

"My name is Akane, while my cousin's is Aria. Pleased to meet you," Sakura replied.

"And what have you got for me, Akane?" Kagi asked politely. Sakura opened her bag a little and pulled out Tomoyo's old dress. Kagi's eyes widened approvingly upon first sight.

"Why, don't tell me that's Egyptian cotton!" he exclaimed as he offered his hand. Sakura obediently set the dress on the counter and he inspected it. "Yes… yes, there's no doubt. Where did you ladies get this?" he questioned lightly. Sakura bit her lip in embarrassment.

"Well, you see, a rather rich family abandoned their house back in Morris and the whole town was in an uproar. Everyone was pillaging the house… and we, being rather poor, we decided we should take what we could to survive off of until we made it here," she was blushing by then while Kagi chuckled warmly.

"Ah, of course, I understand. Tough economy, eh? Well, that'll change when the Reed kingdom is dealt with," Kagi turned around to get into a chest while Sakura scowled venomously at his back. After a few moments, Kagi turned back around with a sack of coins and Sakura's smile was back. "I'd say 750. Do you agree?" Tomoyo was about to retort, saying that was way too much for such a raggedy dress, but Sakura beat her to it.

"Wow, that's so much! Are you sure?" Sakura frowned slightly with her eyes wide and looked unsure. Kagi shook his head fiercely.

"No, I believe you girls deserve it," he promptly counted out the money in front of them, all in paper form to represent the jewels and riches of the country. As Sakura watched with a fake look of awe on her face, silently counting along with Kagi, a group of three in red and black robes caught her eye. Turning to face them, Sakura frowned. Kagi followed her eye and also frowned, with an unsatisfied grunt.

"The Seers. Haven't seen much of them around here lately, wonder if they're done with whatever mission Queen Yelan, bless her heart, sent them on," Kagi sighed. Shaking his head, he finished counting. Taking a moment to catch up, Sakura started.

"Queen Yelan? What about the King?" she asked. Kagi frowned at her.

"Well, haven't you heard? King Isamu, may he rest in peace, passed away nearly a month ago. The funeral was last week." he explained. Sakura frowned too, taking this information in. Shaking her head slightly, Sakura slipped the money into her pouch and stood up straight.

"Well, thank you," she smiled. Kagi returned the smile.

"It was no problem at all, dear. What with everyone fighting to get whatever they can now, and my wife being a seamstress, it might just sell for twice as much as it's worth," he explained. Sakura nodded with another thank you and left the stall with Tomoyo.

"King Isamu dead? There's no way!" Tomoyo exclaimed as they walked away. "The man was only in his forties and with the doctors and security the royal family has access to, there's no way he could have died so young," Tomoyo went on. Sakura sighed as she led them toward a clothing store.

"You forget that most die in their late thirties," Sakura pointed out.

"Yes, but that's only with the poor," Tomoyo offered. Sakura nodded hesitantly, knowing the possibilities of a king dying from sickness or even an assassination was slim, especially at the peak of his ruling.

As the girls entered the closest clothing store, Tomoyo's nose immediately crinkled.

"These clothes are not something any self respecting woman should wear," she complained. Sakura regarded Tomoyo with an amused expression.

"Well, we're not self respecting women. We're women looking to earn a living. And we can't have elegant skirts and puffy sleeves getting in our way," Sakura grinned as she pulled out a short dress. "Besides, how is showing our legs or our stomachs any different from leaving half of our breasts exposed?" Sakura referred to the fashion of the more wealthy. Tomoyo cringed, having to agree. It was only the high class that really wore floor length dresses on a daily basis. Middle class citizens generally wore shorter dresses to better accommodate themselves when doing chores. Others simply couldn't afford enough fabric to cover much of anything.

"All right, I get it. But I refuse to show my stomach," Tomoyo responded. Sakura sighed and put the dress back.

"Fine, there's no need, anyway. It's not like we're going to be prostitutes," she pointed out. Tomoyo twisted her face in disgust.

"Why would that even cross your mind?" Tomoyo demanded.

Sighing, Sakura pulled a deep purple dress for Tomoyo that would hug her breasts but billow out to her knees.

"When you're suddenly a poor girl who has been dancing her whole life, there's not many other options for you," she muttered and handed Tomoyo the dress. "Try this on. Then find some sensible, durable shoes that fit you." Sakura started rummaging through another stack of clothes.

Under the close watch of a storekeeper keeping watch at the entrance, Tomoyo slipped behind a cloth partition and changed her clothes. The dress was much too short for her liking, but it fit her perfectly. The top half reminded her of many of the dresses she wore back home.

Tomoyo picked up her remaining clothes and her boots and left the wall of privacy barefoot. She noticed Sakura making her way quickly through stacks and rows of clothes while she walked to a table covered in shoes.

"You found something for me so quickly and yet you can't find anything for yourself." Tomoyo stated, picking up a flat sandal. Sakura frowned.

"Lucky guess. It was laying there, too," she pointed at a table with a marker saying '200.' Tomoyo frowned, too.

"More than I would think," she muttered. Sakura laughed when she heard her.

"These people have to make a living somehow. I think that dress was marked with an IX. Find something else, you can't wear the same thing every day," Sakura said. Tomoyo nodded as she held a shoe to her foot, nodded, and grabbed the pair. Sakura continued searching.

After Tomoyo found a dress that didn't look quite as nice as the one she was wearing, but full length, she approached Sakura. Looking over her shoulder, Tomoyo noticed that she wasn't even looking at anything, just going through the motions.

"Would you like some help?" she asked, startling Sakura. The storekeeper's eyes hadn't left Sakura since she made it to another table full of clothes.

"You know, I probably don't need anything. My clothes now are old, but they fit just fine," Sakura decided. As she turned to leave, Tomoyo shook her head and stood next to the table, looking the clothing over. A dress catching her eye, she held it up to judge its size. Nodding, she tucked it under her arm and joined Sakura at the entrance to the shop.

"How much?" Sakura asked, knowing the lady had been keeping a close eye on their choices.

"800," the lady grumbled. Sakura glared at her and fished out the wad of bills they had just been given, handing them to her. Leaving quickly, Sakura pulled Tomoyo along.

"What are you doing? That was only 750!" Tomoyo whispered fiercely. Sakura raised an eyebrow at her.

"Looks like we're not going back there again."

Sakura led Tomoyo to a street corner opposite a small tavern.

"This is where Touya agreed to meet us," Sakura announced as she set down the packs she was carrying. Tomoyo frowned as she did the same.

"When is it you two plan all of these things? You both always seem to automatically know what the other is thinking whenever we have to talk to another person. How did you know Touya went by the name Jiro when he came here?" Tomoyo asked. She stared at Sakura with a frown on her face. "And I've seen your clothes, you should be getting as much as I did. And Touya, wouldn't he need something?" Sighing, Sakura flopped herself down on the dusty ground.

"One of the bags we carry around has spare clothes for both Touya and me, for any situation we may find ourselves in. Unlike you, we were able to prepare for this little journey. And about the planning, while you're sleeping, mostly," Sakura answered. Tomoyo stared at her open mouthed. Sakura gave her a lazy smile. "We've also been planning this for nearly two months. And you don't fit in my clothes, anyway," Sakura explained, gesturing to the boots tucked under Tomoyo's arm. Tomoyo nodded slowly. Biting her lip, she debated asking Sakura a certain question as the two watched the sun tilt further toward the horizon as the day wore on.

"Sakura?" Tomoyo asked in a soft voice. The brunette glanced at her to let her know she was listening. "Did you know about me?" Tomoyo watched Sakura carefully as a fleet of emotions she couldn't recognize decorated her tanned face, contrary to Tomoyo's own pale skin.

"Yes, I did," Sakura muttered, so quietly Tomoyo barely heard her over the bustling of the street.

"Why is it we never met?" Tomoyo questioned. Sakura thought for a moment before answering.

"Touya and I had a teacher we would often visit for training," she started. Running her fingers through her hair, she frowned as she saw the split ends that had accumulated through the weeks. "My father didn't like my mother being so alone in the house, with us gone and his own work taking up most of his time. Your mother was my own mother's maid of honor," Sakura let a small smile grace her lips. "There's a picture of the two of them together that's absolutely beautiful. I was told your mother was the one who paid the painter, as a wedding gift. She thought nothing said class like a painting of your own wedding," Sakura looked up at Tomoyo from her seat on the ground. "I apologize, I've drifted down memory lane."

Tomoyo shook her head fiercely. "No! I was never told any of this. Mother was never the conversationalist after father passed away."

Sakura smiled sadly. "Do you remember him?" Tomoyo bit her lip.

"Bits and pieces, I could say. But he never had much time for me," she explained. Sakura nodded.

"What about my mother?"

"Nothing. Perhaps if I thought hard enough, I would be able to conger up a few memories. But I was sent to finishing school when I turned seven. When I returned for summers, my mother dedicated her time to me. After my fifth year, my mother saw fit that I continue my life at home, where I could search for a suitor. I never saw your mother then," Tomoyo ended. Sakura nodded.

"That must have been the time when she got worse. She couldn't travel unless absolutely necessary," Sakura stated quietly. Tomoyo nodded.

"Your training," she said. Sakura stiffened at this. "Was it—"

"You would do well to keep your mouth shut in public," Sakura interrupted. Tomoyo flinched slightly. She had started with a question that might get the girl to open up, but when her real questioning started she closed up again. Tomoyo found it frustrating that she couldn't know for sure what she had seen the night they had found each other.

"I hope that's all," a gruff voice stated, causing Sakura to jump up and move her body in front of Tomoyo's, ready for a fight. She relaxed immediately when she saw Touya next to an old man.

"Jiro," Sakura said simply, with a bit of a question lingering in the air.

Touya nodded. "Akane, this is Hashi Momoto. Hashi, this is my sister Akane and cousin, Aria." Hashi nodded while the two girls greeted him. Not troubling himself with anymore conversation, Hashi leaned cautiously on his cane while he bent over to grab a knapsack on the ground.

"Best be headin' back," he said simply. Turning, he limped off while the others grabbed what they could carry and followed him.

* * *

Please review.


	6. Chapter 6

A loud snoring filled the small house as the trio lounged in their own little room filled with three cots and a basin. Their belongings were piled in the middle of the room, some things spilling out of bags and others remaining untouched. Sakura lay on her side fingering the pouch she kept with her at all times while Touya lay on his back on the other side of the room, resting his eyes yet not asleep. Tomoyo was passed out on her own cot.

"What do you think of him?" Sakura asked softly. Touya made an annoyed groan in the back of his throat.

"I don't know. He seemed more intent on learning more about us than giving me his life story. Honestly, I don't blame him. If he let in a stranger, I would have left," Touya grumbled. Sakura chewed on her bottom lip for a few minutes before continuing.

"How'd you manage the room?"

"I only get half credit for the work. It's cheaper than getting our own place," Touya explained. Sakura nodded, even though her brother's eyes were still sealed closed.

"Touya?" Sakura whispered.

"Just shut the fuck up," he said harshly, barely remembering to whisper. Sakura flinched.

"What happened between us?" she said quietly. After a few minutes, Touya remained silent, so assuming he hadn't heard her, Sakura turned to lay on her other side, facing the wall.

"_This test will be a competition," Clow Reed announced, his eyes shining with mischief. Sakura let out a squeal of delight while a stone faced Touya stood silently next to her. Clow turned around and started walking out of his office, the siblings close behind him. Sakura never stopped asking questions and never waited for answers, skipping through the halls and down the stairs as Clow led them to the palace gardens. _

"_Sakura, I want you to run!" Clow announced once they arrived. Sakura, too excited to ask why, sprinted away. "Touya will be looking for you! Don't let him find you!" Clow yelled after her. She acknowledged him with a wave of her hand as she slipped between a pair of tall trees. "Now Touya, center yourself," Clow ordered. Touya stood with his feet shoulder width apart and took a deep breath. _

"_Do you feel the trees?" Clow asked Touya in a hushed tone. Touya nodded. "The roses? The grass?" Touya nodded again. "The dirt?" _

_Touya frowned. "But the dirt isn't li—"_

"_But there are living things inside of it," Clow pointed out. Touya suppressed a groan of annoyance before scrunching together his nose and forehead in concentration, producing an amusing sight for Clow to behold. Eventually, Touya nodded. At that, Clow started walking away. Touya, oblivious to this, stood in that position for several minutes._

"_Clow-sama?" he asked. Silence greeted him. "Clow-sama?" Touya opened his eyes. Seeing nothing but trees in front of him, he hastily spun around, searching for his teacher. Spotting him about to enter the palace, he yelled. "Clow-sama!" Clow paused._

"_Why are you just standing there?" his voice was booming and Touya flinched as he heard and saw the older man's voice clearly, the air laced with a blue-green tinge of what Touya knew was magic. Nodding, though he wasn't quite sure whether or not Clow could see, Touya ran in the direction Sakura scampered off in. _

_Letting the barriers that surrounded his mind disintegrate, the young man felt nothing. Gritting his teeth, he reached out to the very edge of his consciousness. When he was greeted with birds and the slow lifecycle of trees, he growled in disbelief. Changing direction on instinct, Touya narrowed his eyes in search for a pink mist filling the air._

_The sun and scattered trees soon started working together to make long, eerie shadows. Jogging to the edge of the forest that took up the last mile or so of the estate, Touya stopped, panting. _

"_Where on earth could you be?" he muttered to himself. Nearby, a bird on the ground chirped at him in reply. Glaring at it, Touya started to shoo away the distraction. Cocking its head to the right, the bird jumped closer to Touya. Still glaring at it, Touya decided to humor himself._

"_What?" he asked it. Chirping again, the bird bounded a few feet to the left, turned back to cock its head at Touya again, then flew into a tree on the edge of the forest. Observing the tall tree, Touya rolled his eyes. Then, sauntering up to it, he started to climb. Halfway up, Touya stopped, panting. "What a brilliant idea," he grumbled, "climbing a tree after running for hours on end." Looking up to see where the next branch was, he nearly fell back as he let out a shout of surprise. The little bird was perched on the branch right in front of the boy's face, staring at him as if he were insane. Chirping a bit, the bird leapt from branch to branch until it was settled on the highest branch of the tree, staring down at Touya._

"_Of course," Touya glared. Filling his lungs with oxygen, Touya quickly climbed the rest of the way. Breathing deeply, Touya couldn't help but let a short laugh escape his mouth. With a sigh, he nodded at the little bird next to him before looking down at the area below. A little wisp of pink and brown caught his eye quickly, but upon looking the direction from which it came, Touya saw nothing. He frowned as he thought of the times in his hours of searching and running when he would see much of the same thing. But even upon inspection, Touya found nothing._

_Looking farther out into the forest, Touya smiled brightly as he caught sight of little wisps of magic. Assuming his younger sister had gotten tired of their little game and let her aura go, Touya looked for the point where the magic was strongest. Seeing it, Touya grinned in triumph. Glancing at the setting sun beforehand, Touya climbed down the tree so fast he nearly fell. He then sprinted off in the direction of the magic, a bounce in his step._

_By the time he reached the area he was looking for, night surrounded him and he was in dire need of water. He shook the sweat out of his hair, thinking back to the number of times he had to climb another tree, catch of a glimpse of the brown-pink _something_, and go chasing after the magic again. More than once he could have sworn the spot was in a completely different place than the last time he looked, but he kept on telling himself that Sakura simply didn't have the ability to trick him, or anyone else, like that. _

_Grinning, he took in the pink mist that surrounded him with a cocky stride toward the strongest point of it. Soon enough, he reached a small clearing in the trees where the magic was so dense, he could hardly see. He was shocked that people without his ability or magic couldn't even sense the power that came from someone's aura. _

_Sure he finally had Sakura in his clutches, he leapt into the clearing. Expecting to land on the solid ground, he was shocked to find that he was stopped in midair, mid-jump, staring at absolutely nothing but grass and trees._

"_What the hell?" Touya yelled, frustrated and embarrassed. Struggling against the trap, he let out a shout of anger when he found the only thing he could move was his eyes and mouth. A delighted giggle soon caught Touya's attention and he watched, seething, as Sakura jogged into the place she chose for his undoing. _

_Touya growled and bit out, "You little bitch! When the fuck did you learn this?!" Sakura's amusement stopped immediately at his insults and she stared at him, openmouthed. Touya glared at her, putting as much of his anger and frustration into it as possible. When he caught sight of her pink dress and the way her honey brown hair was let loose, he growled again. "You were following me this entire time, weren't you?!" he demanded. Sakura kept silent as she stared at him, biting her lip. Tears were welling up in her eyes. "You—"_

"_Touya! What do you think you're doing?" a loud and demanding voice broke through Touya's anger. "That is absolutely no way to speak to your sister, or anyone for that matter," Clow strode into the small clearing and with a snap of his fingers, Touya found himself falling. When he hit the ground, Clow was immediately above him, glaring. "What do you have to say for yourself?" _

"_Why didn't you tell me she was this far into her training?" Touya yelled. He stood, glaring at Sakura from behind Clow. Tears were streaming down her face._

"_Perhaps if you paid a bit more attention to her, you would have already been aware of such a thing," Clow said sternly. Touya almost flinched at his tone, but his pride was already hurt too much to demote himself any further. "You're always so focused on yourself." This caught Touya's attention._

"_Excuse me?" Touya said, mustering up as much respect as he could at the moment._

"_Sakura obsesses over you. You're her idol," Clow said. Touya rolled his eyes, already knowing this. "Yet you never acknowledge a thing she does. You have no idea just what she's accomplished over the years." The look Clow gave the young man was almost sad, but Touya refused to believe the man pitied him. "Both of you, come with me," Clow ordered as he walked away. As Sakura walked past Touya, he saw the tears dripping from her chin._

Sakura sat up in her cot, her eyes threatening to cry over her brother once again. Shaking her head, she quietly stood and made her way over to the basin. Already filled with water, Sakura dipped her hands in the cold liquid and splashed it on her face twice. She stayed leaning over the water, little drops of it sliding off her face, for several minutes before straightening up and looking out the window of their little room, overlooking the street.

_Clow had led the siblings into a small stone room in the basement of the palace, something Sakura could tell Touya never knew existed. Out of habit, Sakura immediately made her way to the center of the room and was about to sit when she realized what she was doing and stopped. Clow shook his head, though, and told her to sit. _

"_What are we doing here?" Touya questioned. Clow sat on a wooden chair against the wall of the room._

"_Sit in front of Sakura, Touya," Clow ordered. Touya reluctantly did so, Sakura avoiding looking at him. She then knew what Clow was planning on having them do. He wanted Sakura to show Touya her power, so that he would not underestimate her again. _

_Looking at Clow, Sakura bit her lip when he nodded. She then looked Touya in the eye, seeing confusion, anger, and what she hoped was a hint of regret. Taking a deep breath, she let go of every hold she had on her magic, knowing Clow would take control if anything should go amiss. The power flowed out of her so steadily and quickly, Touya's eyes widened and he held his breath. Sakura and Clow being able to only view magic or an aura at will, they saw nothing. Feeling the power pulsing in the room, however, Sakura could imagine what it might look like to Touya, who could not control his eye sight, and was only trained to recognize magic._

_A minute passed and the magic was still flowing. Touya leaned back on his hands, his feet rooted to the floor as he prepared to stand. He could no longer see Clow and Sakura was only an outline in front of him. Nothing but pink surrounded him. He stared behind him and to each side as he tried to find a weak spot. When he looked back to where he thought Sakura was, he thought he saw one but immediately found himself sorely mistaken as a black tint started to spread through the air. Or, rather, what was becoming a suffocating pillow. _

_When the black of the aura started to present itself, Touya felt the power falter and sighed with relief. But then a tinge of blue-green, what Touya knew was Clow, made its way to the spot in front of him and the power renewed itself, this time flowing out in black, tingeing the pink atmosphere with what Touya felt was evil. Panicking, Touya stood. His breath left him as he found the air much thicker at his full height. Stumbling backwards, his breath started to come out in small gasps as his mind comprehended the overflow of energy as a suffocating pillow. _

_Touya, feeling terrified, let out a scream._

Sakura stiffened as she was brought back to reality. Men, along with the occasional woman, dressed in black and red robes filled the streets. A wave of terror flowing through her, Sakura leapt into the shadows. She watched, on edge, as the Seers went from door to door, slowly but surely making their way to the blacksmith whom she was residing with.

Slipping out the door to their room, so as to not wake her roommates, she stealthily made her way through the shadows. Pausing, she cursed herself for leaving her dagger behind, just in case. Catching sight of Hashi, though, she froze. He sat in a sturdy chair in the middle of his shop, an ax and a steaming cup of tea in front of him. When she was sure she hadn't been seen, Sakura slipped behind a partition blocking off the fireplace, thankful that there were no lights to catch her shadow.

Sakura held her breath as Hashi sipped his tea, tapping his ax thoughtfully. Sure that they had run into another psycho, Sakura was about to retreat to their room to warn Touya when she saw movement outside the window next to the door. Hashi seemed to see it too, standing and making his way to the door without his cane, ax in hand. Opening the door before anyone could knock he regarded a tall woman with long black hair with distaste.

"Meilin Li, what a pleasant surprise," Hashi said sarcastically. Sakura stood completely still, watching from her place in the shadows. Feeling sick, Sakura flinched when she heard the woman's voice.

"Pleasant?" the woman laughed. "I'm sure you could think of a much better word to describe this meeting." Sakura watched Hashi lean on his ax, studying the woman in front of him.

"Why is it you're leading the search tonight, Li-sama? Surely the leader of your little band of miscreants has better things to do," Hashi pointed out. Sakura waited for the answer, memorizing Meilin's face for the second time in her life.

"We have reason to believe Clow Reed's successor made it past the gates this morning," Meilin stated in a professional voice. Hashi laughed bitterly.

"Clow Reed's successor? Everyone knows one doesn't exist," he argued. Meilin glared at him.

"I've dealt with you often enough to know you know there's much more going on here than the majority of us are allowed to know," Meilin said dangerously.

Hashi snorted. "Are you saying even you're being kept in the dark?" He paused. "Does the Queen even know about this imaginary heir?" With a growl, Meilin hit Hashi on the side of his head, throwing him to the ground. With a pained grunt, Sakura fought against her instinct to run and help him.

"Just tell me, Hashi, who are the people you brought into your home today?" Meilin demanded harshly. Hashi coughed violently and struggled to support himself on his forearms. Catching his breath, Hashi's eyes swept over the room. Eyes wide, Sakura met his gaze. A hint of acknowledgment and shock registered through Hashi's eyes.

"Just three family members from the Borderlands," Hashi said. "My grandson finally found it in himself to come here, bringing his sister and cousin with him." Sakura held her breath. Meilin stood still, up to her full height, staring at the old man. After a few moments of contemplation, Meilin nodded.

"Very well, old man. But if I find you've lied, you know what the consequences will be," she threatened. With a sweep of her robe, Meilin left, leaving Hashi on the floor. Waiting a few moments to be sure no more Seers would return, Sakura hurried over to Hashi. Shutting the door first, Sakura knelt next to the old man who had possibly just saved her life. Just when she was about to ask if he was okay, he shook his head violently and looked down at his leg. Shocked, Sakura stared at the ax that had dug itself into his leg. Scolding herself for not noticing such an important thing, even with her mortal enemy in the room, Sakura took a few calming breaths.

_Sakura stood silently and unmoving as she peaked through the door of her brother's room, watching him throw his books and papers through the air. After doing so for a few minutes, letting the panic out of his system, Touya slumped into the chair behind his desk. He breathed deeply with his eyes closed._

_Biting her lip, Sakura was about to enter when a little bird flew through Touya's open window and landed on his desk. Recognizing it, Sakura stayed where she was. _

"_What are you doing here?" Touya asked the bird wearily. The bird cocked its head to the right and chirped before it exploded right there in front of Touya. Sakura stayed where she was, knowing the small explosion couldn't hurt her. Touya let out a shout of surprise and dived underneath the desk. Before Sakura could even blink, two tall figures in red and black robes, their faces shadowed with hoods, appeared in front of Touya's desk._

"_Stop hiding, you coward," one venomous voice ordered. Shaking, but with a hard look on his face, Touya slowly stood. Shock flashed through his eyes as he recognized the uniforms._

"_Seers!" he quickly swung his arm behind himself, grabbing a dagger and holding it at the ready in front of him. The Seer that hadn't spoken walked slowly toward Touya. The young man took an involuntary step back as the Seer closed in. _

"_There's nothing to fear," the first Seer assured Touya. The venomous voice was female, sending shivers down Sakura's spine. As Touya regarded her, the Seer in front of him quickly grabbed his dagger and threw it to the other side of the room. Clenching his teeth, Touya simply stood with his hands clenched into fists at his sides._

"_What do you want?" Touya ordered. The woman slowly pulled back her hood, revealing sleek black hair. Touya's own eyes widened. The woman smiled cruelly. He glanced quickly back at the other Seer, who left his hood on, but Touya could clearly see the boy's face._

"_Do you know what it means to be a Seer, Touya?" she asked. Touya nodded his head. Slowly, the woman made her way to Touya. Standing in front of him, their eyes were level with each other. Touya's quick intake of breath made it to Sakura's ears as she knew her brother saw the woman's beauty. Changing his mind, Touya told the woman 'no.'_

"_Seers are the people in the world who have the abilities you do, Touya," the woman started explaining. "We can see the evil of magic and speak to the spirits who wish to show themselves." She said the word magic as if she were spitting out poison. Touya shook his head slowly._

"_But the only spirits who want to contact the living are evil," he pointed out. The woman laughed delightedly._

"_Of course they're not! Poor, innocent souls like you are only taught such things because of the power those spirits have to offer," the woman said. Touya steadily met her cold gaze once she finished laughing._

"_Then that is magic," Touya said. The woman growled._

"_No, it is not. We use the abilities that everyone acquires after death, by using the dead," she justified. Sakura frowned as Touya seemed to see logic in that statement. _

"_Who are you?" Touya asked._

"_Meilin Li," the woman answered without delay. Touya's eyes widened with shock._

"_Li! Then you are of the royal family!" Touya exclaimed. The other Seer snorted. _

"_Thus the only reason she leads us," it was a male voice._

"_Hold your tongue, Eriol!" Meilin yelled. The man only seemed to regard her amusedly. Calming herself, Meilin returned her attention to Touya. "And soon enough, you will be part of a royal family. Am I right?" Sakura held her breath as Touya hesitated._

"_I… I don't know what you mean. King Reed teaches all—" he was cut off._

"_You know exactly what I mean!" the air around Meilin seemed to flare with a dangerous aura as she yelled. After a moment, Touya nodded._

"_My sister," he said quietly. Meilin smiled._

"_Yes. She's very powerful, isn't she? Having tricked you like that," Meilin stated. Touya looked down quickly, then around, searching for words in everything but the Seers. Soon enough, Touya's eyes landed on the door and he saw Sakura._

"_What do you want?" he asked, his eyes not leaving her. Sakura wasn't sure to whom he was asking the question. Meilin grinned evilly._

"_We need a new recruit," she offered. "We need you." _

_Touya, surprised, looked Meilin in the eye. "Me?" he asked. She nodded. Looking back to the door, Touya stared at Sakura for a few moments. Meilin, curious, turned around. Eyes widening with momentary shock, Meilin let out a delighted squeal._

"_The heir!" Eriol said, astonished. Meilin turned around and, pretending to ignore Sakura, looked to Touya with an evil glint in her eye._

"_What do you say, Touya?" she asked. After a few moments, Touya answered, his eyes never leaving Sakura._

"_I accept."_

Biting her lip with worry, Sakura stood. Leaping over Hashi, she ran to her room to retrieve Touya.

* * *

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	7. Chapter 7

Sakura tapped her fingers impatiently as she watched Touya rewrap Hashi's wound. She had forgotten something. She _knew_ it. And it had something to do with Tomoyo.

Watching the dark haired girl throughout the night, Sakura's suspicions of her never wavered, neither rising nor falling. Upon first meeting the girl, Sakura had complete faith in her. Not any of her survival abilities, of course, but her trust. Something had assured her that Tomoyo's presence was a gift. But the second Sakura started thinking of the logistics of the girl's situation, all of that trust disappeared. But, again, that something had her treating Tomoyo like a friend.

"But what?" she muttered to herself. Sakura bit her lip in a grimace as a set of bloody rags were lifted from Hashi's wound, which had stopped bleeding nearly an hour earlier. Tomoyo knelt next to the men with a bowl of hot water, taken from the one source of running water in the kitchen and heated in the fire place. The second Sakura had awakened the two, she had retreated within herself, watching Touya and Tomoyo quietly treat Hashi's wound.

"The stitches are still intact, and it's not bleeding anymore. Do you think we can move you to your bed now?" Touya asked Hashi. Hashi grunted as he adjusted his head on the pillow Tomoyo set beneath his head.

"That would be a lot more comfortable, yes. But regardless of your strength, son, I don't think you can carry me without worsening the injury," the old man groaned. Touya smirked.

"Not alone, no, but Akane will help," Touya said. Sakura didn't respond at first, preferring to zone out of the conversation, but glared at Tomoyo as she appeared in front of her, interrupting her frustrating thought process.

"Sakura?" she said quietly as she waved her good hand in front of Sakura's green eyes. Blinking rapidly, the honey haired beauty slapped the girl's hand away.

"Yeah, I got it," she muttered as she stood. Hashi looked skeptical.

"A little lass like you? Why, you're tiny! Now isn't the time for jokes, Jiro," Hashi spoke to the siblings. Glaring heatedly, Sakura bent her knees and latched her arms under Hashi's arms, lifting Hashi swiftly and seemingly without effort. Hastily, Touya lifted Hashi's legs so as to not hurt the man.

"What's your problem?" Touya glared at her. Sakura shrugged and started toward the back of the shop, where Hashi's home was. Entering his room and setting the injured man on his bed, Sakura and Touya straightened up.

"You should rest now. We'll talk in the morning," Sakura said quickly. Before Hashi or Touya could protest, Sakura pushed Touya out of the room, slamming the door behind them. Tomoyo stood feebly in the hall waiting for them, picking at the bandages on her injured hand.

"Well?" she asked.

"Go to bed," Sakura ordered. Tomoyo bit her lip and simply stood there, glancing between the two siblings, unsure of what to do. Touya studied Sakura for a moment, then nodded, ushering Tomoyo into their room. Closing the door behind them, he left Sakura standing in the hall.

Letting out a stress induced sigh, Sakura padded quietly back to the front of the house, where the shop was. Standing out in the open, she observed her surroundings closely, familiarizing herself with the new territory.

Against the far wall, Sakura was already aware of the fireplace, partially blocked off by partitions. While she was hiding, though, she noted that the pit was more open than any other fire place would be, allowing easy access. She also noted that the blacksmith's shop was different than any other she and Touya had wandered into, almost as if it had been added at the last minute when the house was built.

As Sakura kept moving about the space of the shop, she noticed all the tools clattered on the tables, others hanging on the wall. Under the window next to the door, there was also a table full of small finished products, larger ones on the floor surrounding the table. Approaching the table for closer inspection, Sakura ran her fingers over the piece of metal closest to her.

"A simple knick knack?" Sakura mumbled to herself, picking up the trinket. Her grubby fingers looked terrible against the shiny surface of the sphere, its surface etched with jagged lines. Sakura turned it around slowly in her hands, squinting her eyes at what were turning out to be indiscernible shapes. With a gasp, she saw an etched line that looked very familiar.

"Interesting," Sakura spoke to herself. "It looks exactly like the coastline in the territory of the Reed Kingdom that I've seen on maps." She traced the line where it started and ended on the papers she had seen in her studies. Then, shaking her head, she put down the sphere and looked to the rest of the shapes on the table with a keen eye. She saw a cube made up of many other cubes, an arch with multiple balls hanging from it by strings, and even a tea pot. Sakura shook her head in amazement at the craftsmanship, mentally pointing out that Touya may have to step it up.

Glancing back in the direction of the other residents of the house, Sakura bit her lip and made her way to the front door. Looking as far down the street as she could through the front window, Sakura determined that the coast was clear and opened the door slowly.

Flinching at the loud squeak the door made, Sakura cursed under her breath and mentally noted to oil the hinges for safer late night trips in the future. Closing the door behind her, Sakura pushed her auburn hair out of her face and headed off in the opposite direction from which she came to the house; toward the palace.

Sticking to the shadows, Sakura frowned at the lack of pedestrians in the streets. Yes, it was the middle of the night, but what about the drunkards? The young woman's eyes narrowed with endless possibilities concerning the quiet streets. In this venture, she soon concluded that there were many things going on that she was not informed on. For several paces, Sakura stared ahead of herself at the palace, memorizing the arches and small glints of light that were bound to be intricate gold decorations when the time for closer inspection came.

With a sigh, Sakura looked over her shoulder, the bothering thought of the empty streets getting to her. In a swift motion, she then lifted her arm and yanked the ever present ponytail holder from her hair, letting the dirty locks of auburn cascade down her shoulders, creating a small sense of security. At that small action, a dark shadow leapt out in front of her, landing in her path and bringing the startled woman to a screeching halt, one hand on the pack on her waste and the other on her dagger.

* * *

He awoke with a start. Heart pounding, sweat dripping, and breath ragged, the young man gasped for air as he flung himself to the side of his bed, one hand groping for the knife under his pillow and the other reaching for his glasses. With the thin frame of his spectacles securely on his face, he could clearly see that his small room was empty, not a thing out of place.

"It can't be," he muttered to himself, wiping his wet hair off of his forehead with a shaky hand. Extracting himself from the covers, the young man stood slowly, dropping the knife he gripped in his hand to the bed.

"Honey? What is it?" A sleepy voice disturbed him. Fighting a grimace, the man turned and smiled.

"Nothing, dear Kaho, go back to sleep. I simply must treat myself to a late night snack," he cleared. Kaho looked at her husband with narrowed eyes, but complied when he would not look her in the eye.

"Very well," she turned over and huddled up under her blanket, a separate one from the young man's.

The man left the room, feeling a raging headache approach. In the dark hallway, he felt no need to use any light, seeing everything in front of him clearly. Soon in the kitchen, he poured himself cold tea and stood in front of the window of the room, watching the empty street before him.

"I didn't think it was possible," the man started muttering to himself. "Another, here in the Li Kingdom… Not including that senile old man trying to pass off his work as honest craftsmanship," he scoffed to himself. "Of course the queen wouldn't know. I don't see why she would," a detached grin lit up his face in the dark light. "As always, I will use this to my advantage."

The young man set his cup down on the window seal, still full of his cold beverage, and left the room, entering another with a door leading to the outside. Sitting leisurely in a chair by a dead fire, he grabbed a pair of boots on the floor, slipping them on his feet. Pulling on the laces, ensuring a snug fit, he then continued to tie a knot, only to end up with a mess of loops. Frowning, he tried again, only to further frustrate his hands by being unable to untie the mistake. Shaking his head in frustration, he pulled hard on the laces, only to be greeted with a snap of the old string. Gritting his teeth, the man gave up, standing and walking to the door as if nothing were wrong. Grabbing his coat, he left the house, the laces on his boots looking new and expertly tied.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" a sinister voice echoed in the man's ear as he walked. He smirked slightly.

"Not a thing, you may move on," he answered, the response being a rather violent breeze. A hop in his step, the young man continued, the houses by him seeming to pass in a blur. In absolutely no time, he stood in front of the gates to the palace, four guards blocking his way.

"Dawn has yet to come, Yukito-sama," one of the guards greeted. Yukito stood in a completely relaxed stance.

"I've only come bearing a message. Mind passing it on?" he asked. The guards looked to one another and shrugged.

"Of course, Yukito-sama," another guard responded. Nodding rather happily, Yukito relayed his message.

"Please wake Eriol Hiiragizawa right away. He needs to organize a meeting between Queen Yelan and myself," he said. The guard offering to relay the message stared at him, confused.

"But, Yukito-sama, it's the middle of the night. Surely something like this can wait until morning?" he reasoned. Yukito shook his head in a condescending way, thinking of the guards as small children.

"I asked you to do it _now_," was his response. After a moment's hesitation, the guard ran off and around the corner of the gate, entering in a place Yukito had never bothered to find. With nothing else to say, Yukito simply turned around and strutted off.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Yue-sama?" another evil voice, different from the first, whispered in his ear.

Yukito, or Yue, smirked. "Now, now, what have I said about calling me that?" he criticized. The response was another violent breeze.

* * *

Sakura stood frozen, staring at the being before her. Its ears twitched, tail moving back and forth, and its eyes remained trained on Sakura.

"Come," the cat spoke, not startling Sakura, just frustrating her. She shook her head as she stood up straight, slipping her dagger back into her belt.

"The need is great," the cat said again. Sakura shook her head again. The cat said nothing more, just waited patiently, staring at her with knowing eyes. Fiddling with her hands defiantly, Sakura thought back to meeting Tomoyo.

"You have waited too long," she finally responded. The cat did not respond, its ears twitching. Looking off to the side, Sakura felt the pendant around her neck and beneath her shirt. This feeling wasn't physical, or even mental, for she still felt defiant of the creature's request. She grit her teeth against the feeling.

"This is untrue," the cat countered after a time. Sakura turned to glare at it.

"And why is that?" she demanded.

"There is a feeling beside you," the cat said cryptically. But Sakura knew exactly what it was talking about. Shaking her head, she looked to the ground. "You are blocked."

Sakura growled. "If I am to refrain from dark practices, I must be," she fought. "You know what I am!" she practically shouted. The cat's tail stopped swaying.

"Not all beings outside of your consciousness are dark," it reasoned. Sakura glared heatedly. The cat turned around and started padding off. Letting her hands drop to her sides, Sakura followed.

For a long while Sakura glared a hole in the back of the cat's head, unwilling to accept the facts drifting through her mind. The aura around it was enticing, so perhaps that was why the Seers were searching the city tonight. And if Sakura stared at the cat hard enough, its image switched back and forth between a beast and a pet, something she vaguely remembered seeing a few weeks before. From where, she didn't know. But there was no doubt about it This cat was a guardian.

They went on slowly, continuing the way Sakura was originally headed. Eventually her eyes left the cat and fell on the palace. For reasons she could not fathom, fear started to grow within her.

* * *

"Hiiragizawa-sama! Hiiragizawa-sama!" there was a pounding on the door. Groaning under his silk bed sheets, Eriol Hiiragizawa fumbled with his side drawer, grabbing his glasses and putting them on.

"What is it, you goons? Don't you realize what time it is?" he yelled at the door, throwing his sheets off of his body and climbing out of bed. "I've been catering to the prince all day! Can't I get a moment's peace?" he demanded as he opened the door to reveal an out of breath guard. Holding up his finger, the guard paused to catch his breath. Eriol glared heatedly. "If you're going to wake me up, you might as well spit whatever it is you have to say the hell out!" Eriol yelled.

Wide eyed, the guard responded, "It's Yukito-sama. He demands a meeting with the queen as soon as possible." Eriol stared at the guard a moment, then slammed the door in his face. After a few moments, Eriol heard retreating footsteps and sighed.

"That bastard hasn't let me get a full night's sleep in over a week," Eriol mumbled as he took off his shirt and pants. Fumbling through his drawers on the other side of the room, he pulled out a clean pair of pants and put those on, then went on to find a shirt in his closet. In a moment, he froze, sensing something behind him.

"Your master may wait. There is much else at hand to take care of," said a voice at the window.

* * *

Sakura stood completely still, glaring upward at a glowing palace window.

"This is what you brought me here for?" she snarled at the cat. "_Him_? Of all people?!" she was practically yelling. The cat lay on the ground beside her, lazily licking its fur clean.

"What exactly did you expect?" it purred.

"He's a traitor," Sakura snarled.

"No more a traitor than you are," the black cat countered. Sakura glared heatedly at it, biting her tongue. Standing and stretching, the cat padded to the side of the castle, Sakura not moving from her spot. Climbing the vines to the lit window on the second story, Sakura watched as the cat sat casually on the ledge. Grumbling, she sat on the ground and waited impatiently.


	8. Chapter 8

"I feel like a prisoner of war." The air around Sakura was cold and the day was dreary. Hashi lay beside her silently, sipping hot tea. Last night Sakura had seen Eriol. She hadn't spoken to him, but she saw him. She made sure that he did not see her, but the cat, Spinel Sun she found was its name, talked the man into taking him in, which shocked her almost to the point of no return. This morning when she returned to her host's home, she ranted for hours about frustrating nothings and flashbacks to the past.

_Nothing_ was going the way she had planned.

"Don't we all, Akane?" he muttered. "This place is based off of the tyranny of a cold queen with an evil plan for us all." Sakura glanced at him from his bedroom window. She knew his secret, and she knew that he knew hers. But Touya was completely clueless. Anyone that had powers like theirs were attracted to each other. And they always kept each other's secrets.

"And yet no one does a thing," she spit. Glaring a hole into Hashi's forehead, Sakura folded her arms across her chest. "I saw you that night, you know. You're different from everyone here. You aren't even _from _here, are you?" She still couldn't get the scene of the night the Seers came out of her head. Sakura already knew the answers. But she felt as if she needed to ask.

Hashi watched the girl steadily. "No, I am not. But neither are you. Jiro is not. Neither is your crippled friend. And yet, here we are, in a hateful city with a hateful monarchy and an even more hateful burden." Sakura snorted.

"Burden?"

"You realize that folks like us are not welcome here," Hashi said.

"I have no clue what you're raving about," Sakura concluded. She turned swiftly and stomped out of the room, unable to contain her anger.

Sakura wondered if Hashi understood why she felt the dire need to deny the fact that she wasn't the only sorcerer running away from the kingdom. Like they both didn't possess the power to create an earthquake. To make a flower bloom. To _fly_, even. But when Sakura entered Hashi's room that morning, some invisible barrier had broken and now Hashi treated Sakura as an equal and as if the two of them shared some special secret that bound them together.

That _forced_ her to realize that maybe she couldn't trust anyone.

People like her and Hashi somehow already knew about each other. She knew before she entered this godforsaken city that Touya, Tomoyo, and she would find a safe refuge. She didn't know how it worked. But right now her mind was a jumbled mess that she couldn't sort out. And she knew it was because of the key around her neck.

* * *

"What is it, Eriol?" a beautiful woman murmured his name, leaning back menacingly in her throne, a cold look etched on her face.

"Queen Yelan," Eriol knelt on one knee. "Thank you so much for seeing me on such short notice." He was freaking out on the inside. Last night Spinel had showed up to his room when Eriol was sure that he would never see the guardian again.

Eriol had welcomed Spinel into his home. He had learned many new things last night and it scared him. He was so much closer to being found out now. What would they try him as? A traitor? Because that is what he is. Betrayer of his country. But thinking like this was too fast. What he needed to focus on was the fact that Spinel Sun was back. After he had made that life changing decision, a decision which resulted in Eriol losing his guardian, he was positive that redemption would never be an option.

"What is it?" the Queen growled. Eriol flinched, sure that that must have been the second time she had asked.

"Y-Yukito-sama wishes to meet with you as soon as possible," he spit out quickly. Perhaps too quickly. Could the Queen tell how nervous he was? But she was silent for a few moments. Eriol scrutinized her angry gaze as she thought this request through. He knew she would grant Yukito permission. Yukito received everything he asked for. Eriol was sure that Queen Yelan was wrapped around his finger.

"Yes…" she muttered. "Yes, it's probably about…" she trailed off. Eriol couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Clow Reed…" she mumbled. He barely heard it, but he did, and from that he froze. "Dismissed." She announced clearly. Slowly and rigidly Eriol nodded and stood. With a well-practiced bow, he swept out of the room, now in a hurry.

As Eriol closed the door, he took off in a mad dash toward his room. He was breathing deeply. Hyperventilating, even. Was that why the Seers were all here? Was that why the tension in the palace has been so great?

He could remember the one memory he had of her vividly.

_Eriol whispered to the bird, reassuring its safety. Meilin giggled psychotically next to him as she nudged him, making him send the bird into the young man's room. The new recruit they were hoping to get. After about a minute, Eriol heard the bird burst and with the cold grip of the dead, Eriol found himself in the young man's room, staring at him cower under his desk._

"_Stop hiding, you coward," Meilin growled. Eriol could tell she was having fun. The man, who was at least a year older than Eriol, stood slowly and his eyes widened._

"_Seers!" he gasped, his hand shooting for his dagger. Eriol slowly moved toward him, ready to take action if anything got violent. The man took an involuntary step back._

"_There's nothing to fear," Meilin said seductively. The man studied Meilin suspiciously and as he did Eriol disarmed him and threw the dagger to the other side of the room. The young man clenched his teeth and stood with his fists tight at his sides. _

"_What do you want?" he demanded. Out of the corner of his eye, Eriol noticed movement at the door. A girl. Had she been here the entire time? Meilin slipped her hood off. "You look like… That means…" the man's eyes were wide and Meilin's cruel smile lit up her face. _

"_Do you know what it means to be a Seer, Touya?" she asked him. So that was his name. Touya. Kinomoto, if he remembered correctly. As Meilin made her way toward Touya, and he muttered a no, Eriol's gaze was locked on the girl in the doorway, mostly hidden. She didn't notice him, which wouldn't surprise him because the conversation between Meilin and Touya was a sight to behold. But this girl, a young beauty, intrigued him. _

"_Seers are the people in the world that have the abilities you do, Touya. We can see the evil of magic and speak to the spirits who wish to show themselves." As Meilin spit out the word magic, Eriol flinched. Magic? Evil? The thought of such a thing was almost laughable._

"_But the spirits who want to contact the living are evil," Touya pointed out gruffly. Good, he's been taught correctly._

"_Of course they're not!" Meilin looked personally offended. "Poor, innocent souls like you are only taught such things because of the power those spirits have to offer," Meilin started laughing as if this were obvious. Eriol tried not to flinch._

"_Then that is magic," Touya said indignantly. Eriol silently cheered him on._

"_No, it is not. We use the abilities that everyone acquires after death, by using the dead," Meilin justified. Is that what she had been told? Lies. Eriol wanted to see the girl's reaction and looked. The girl hiding in the doorway was frowning and then he knew._

"_Who are you?" Touya asked._

"_Meilin Li."_

"_Li! Then you are of the royal family!" Eriol snorted._

"_Thus the only reason she leads us," he put in. He would probably be punished later._

"_Hold your tongue, Eriol!" Now they knew both of their names. Great. "And soon enough, you will be part of a royal family. Am I right?"_

"_I… I don't know what you mean. King Reed teaches all—" Now he was positive._

"_You know exactly what I mean!"_

"_My sister." The heir. The girl in the doorway._

"_Yes. She's very powerful, isn't she? Having tricked you like that." Meilin was very confident. Touya saw the girl in the doorway. Eriol grew tense._

"_What do you want?" Who was the question directed at? Meilin or the heir? Eriol was clenching his teeth._

"_We need a new recruit. We need you." And the reason they're here is revealed._

"_Me?" Touya's reply was meek. Meilin nodded. Touya's eyes fell on the girl's. She looked so terrified. Eriol couldn't help but think of how beautiful she was. How he wanted to go to her, tell her that at least he didn't want to be in this game. Meilin noticed Touya's wandering eyes and following their gaze. And she saw. _

_In a fit of worry, Eriol burst, "The heir!" How stupid of him._

"_What do you say Touya?" Meilin ignored the girl at the door. She wanted her to see._

"_I accept." Touya. Eriol felt the girl's pain. The sister of a man who surely hates her. _

"She's here!" Eriol burst into his room. "How could you not tell me? After everything you dumped on me last night, you left that out?" Spinel looked up lazily from his perch on the windowsill.

"Who?" he purred. Eriol slammed his door closed. He glared heatedly at the guardian.

"You know exactly who I am talking about," he growled in a dangerously low voice. Spinel was silent for some time.

Eriol kept his eyes trained on him. He had grown up with Spinel. Spinel had always been by his side. But then when he chose to do what he did, Spinel left him to fend for himself. And although Eriol knew that it was his fault, a part of him would always hate his guardian for it.

"I brought her here last night," Spinel explained solemnly. Eriol grit his teeth.

"Where was she?" he demanded. Spinel looked out the window. Eriol walked over to him and looked.

"Over where that guard is now," Spinel explained. There was only one guard in view. "I meant to show her to you. But for a reason I do not know, she left." Eriol stared at a tree, a place with a perfect view of his window.

"I know why," he muttered. She must have seen him. With such a horrible memory to relate him to, there's no way she wouldn't have recognized him. With a sigh, he sat on the edge of his bed and took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes. "I must see her."

"You must see her tonight," Spinel added. Eriol nodded slowly. The sooner the better.

"Where is she?"

"With Hashi." Eriol flinched. Of all people. Hashi was the last person Eriol wanted any encounter with.

* * *

Sakura laughed delightedly. She was surrounded by children reaching their arms out to her. She spun around. She and Tomoyo were outside the shop being pretty and welcoming. As long as they were without work, they might as well make more for Hashi and Touya. After they had spent some time outside playing with children (whose parents neglected them in favor of other shops that caught their fancy), a group of talented beggars had set up shop and started playing fun, upbeat music. Sakura was dancing with the children while Tomoyo was braiding a little girl's hair. A group of men across the way, customers for the other, more commercial blacksmiths, had been eyeing her hungrily. She didn't care. But one of the men broke from the group for her. As he moved, a man behind him caught Sakura's eye. Tall stature, silver hair, and a handsome grin filled her vision as she danced.

"How about a little something special?" the man who had approached regained her attention, showing that he was holding a gold coin. With a hidden shudder, she snatched the coin from his hand before he could react and cartwheeled away from him, to the amazement of some of the smaller children. She smiled brightly at him and waved. Angry and red in the face, the man stomped away, knowing it wouldn't be a good idea to make a scene in such a place.

Once again the man with silver hair caught Sakura's attention. As she danced with the children she kept her eyes on him, as his never left her. Soon, she noticed the sun was setting and the kids around her were grudgingly beginning to disperse. The orange glow of the setting sun reflected off of the man's hair and glasses. As all of her little companions left, she watched the stranger. With a handsome smile and a nod, the man held up a slip of paper. Setting it gently on the ground under a pebble, he straightened up, placed his hands in his pockets, and slowly walked away.

Waiting until he had turned a corner and disappeared, Sakura raced to the pebble and knelt beside it, picking up the paper. It was money. And a lot of it.

"Princess."

Startled, Sakura's head shot up. She assumed she was the only one on the street, remembering vaguely that Tomoyo had gone inside. And there he was. The man that had helped in ruining her life. The man that she could never mention to Touya. The man that was here, handsome and dangerous.

"Why…" Eriol hesitated. Now that he was standing before her, he was incredibly nervous. Sakura could see it. "Why did you leave?"

"Which time?" she stated bluntly. He laughed nervously, running his fingers through his hair.

"Both times."

* * *

Here is a preview of my new story:

Saving Grace

A Death Note fanfic.

* * *

A shaky lens focused on a girl with long red hair tied in an intricate braid, resting over her right shoulder. She was looking down, trying to secure a small microphone to the front of her white formfitting t-shirt. She shooed away a helping hand as she made a grunt of success, looking up and squinting into the camera with bright green eyes. The lighting around her was immediately adjusted.

"Is this mic on?" she asked when she could see clearly. The camera man nodded to her as he secured a small, high tech camera on a tripod and adjusted the height to include both the girl and her interviewer. A drab looking young man sat next to her, pushing his glasses up his nose with one hand and mussing up his tangled brown hair at the same time. Once he felt comfortable and the girl was looking at him expectantly, the interviewer nodded. The camera man got the attention of those around him and shushed them, proceeding to silently count down from three.

"Hello viewers. My name is Jiro and I'm here with Akira Amamiya, this world's greatest mystery. It is my absolute pleasure to be the first person to speak to Akira as Kira no Musume, or the Daughter of Kira. No mask. No voice distorters. Just the cold hard truth. And while the world may be on the verge of breaking, we've decided that you all need to understand the situation as much as possible. We want you, the general public, to be the ones to make the important decisions. _Informed_ decisions." Jiro pushed his glasses up his nose again. The young woman waited patiently, looking pleasantly radiant in front of the camera.

"First I would like to notify the audience that this entire interview will take place as if this legendary notebook of death is, in fact, real. We will not request any proof, nor will we ask to see it," Jiro continued, looking sternly at the camera. "Now, let's start off simply. Akira, how old were you when you discovered the notebook?"

"Seventeen years old," Akira replied without hesitation. She had a voice that sounded almost musical.

"So you were still attending secondary school?"

"Oh, no, I was attending University by then," Akira smiled. Jiro looked shocked.

"Well, congratulations. Was that a difficult feat?" he questioned. Akira laughed lightly and shook her head.

"No, I've always had a love for learning. But I ended up dropping out anyway, like all of my family and friends at the time expected. I'm just not the University type. I prefer doing things my own way, in my own time," Akira smiled. "My father was the same way."

Jiro looked impressed. "You're nineteen now, correct?" Akira nodded. "And I heard that your father had passed away. Did this happen before or after you found the note?" Akira's smile remained on her face, but her eyes pierced through Jiro menacingly. He stiffened and opened his mouth to move on, but Akira responded without missing another beat.

"Before, of course. It was quite tragic. He died of cancer," she said. Jiro nodded and cleared his throat.

"And your mother?"

"Never knew her." Akira's smile never left her face. Jiro nodded.

"And what did you do when you dropped out of University?" he asked. Akira looked into the camera.

"I cleansed the earth."

* * *

Please review! I'd like to know what you all are thinking so far. It's very encouraging.


	9. Chapter 9

"Syaoran, is there a reason you're doing this to me?" a brunette guard complained. Syaoran Li marched purposefully through the halls of his home, ignoring the glances of maids and servants. His shoulders were back and his head was held high.

"We're losing control, Yamazaki. Can you tell me why this is?" he growled. The guard glared at his back as he followed the prince.

"No and why should I?" he retorted. As they swept through the castle, Yamazaki could sense the prince getting more and more agitated. Yamazaki, personally, did not know what was going on. But as a member of the royal guard whom Syaoran had been friends with for his entire life, Yamazaki was worth consulting.

"Because, Yamazaki, there have been two riots in the past two months. Our treaty with Clow ended, what, six months ago? This is not what mother planned to happen and this is not what I should have to tolerate," Syaoran explained. Yamazaki sighed, getting agitated himself.

"Things like this happen, Your Majesty, and there is really not much you can do about it at this point. Besides, there hasn't been a riot in three weeks. You dealt with that last one, remember? You rode out into the streets on your own horse and settled it. Perhaps not in the most tactful way, but it did work," Yamazaki explained. They marched up several flights of stairs.

"But _why_ did those riots happen? In the time the treaty was in place, the citizens of both my mother's kingdom and Clow Reed's were free to move about and settle wherever they liked. So now they have to choose a side. So what? Didn't they choose a side when they _did_ settle down?" Syaoran said heatedly.

"Have you thought about the people of the Borderlands?" Yamazaki inquired. "They decided not to even choose a side. They've been living for years without any leader at all. Unless you count those two rebel leaders from awhile back, but they died within a year. They were fighting all the time. But the point is, they have been brought here, mostly against their will, to fight in a war that may not even become physical. They're angry and they want you to know it," he finished. Syaoran stopped abruptly, his fists clenched at his sides. Yamazaki stopped a few feet behind him, waiting in practiced silence while the prince grit his teeth.

After a few minutes, Yamazaki decided to continue: "Take a look at your city, Prince. Ever since your mother started forcing people to swear loyalty to this kingdom, it has been falling apart." He took a deep breath. "The amount of homeless citizens residing in this city has tripled in the past six months. If you want my opinion, I would say that the citizens in King Reed's kingdom are a hell of a lot better off than those in this one," he stated. Syaoran slowly turned to face Yamazaki, who trembled slightly under his glare.

"Why is magic so evil, Yamazaki?" Syaoran asked in a morbid tone. "Why does this kingdom stand against it with such… rigor?"

"Because magic is power stolen from the gods," Yamazaki answered immediately.

"Well, our enemies do not seem to see it that way," Prince Syaoran said with a sour face. "Thus, the fact needs to be beaten into their minds. Possession of magic is a _sin_," he spit out. He was clenching his fists as he spoke to Yamazaki, his gaze lowering to the ground. "No man or woman deserves to raise themselves to the levels of gods… Whether they were meant to have magic or not," Syaoran muttered. He spun on his heel and continued walking.

After a few moments of silence, Yamazaki spoke again. "Where are we off too, Prince?"

"To find Eriol. I wish to go into the city," Syaoran explained, being unable to leave the royal grounds without him.

"Well, then all of this walking has been a waste of time. Eriol took his first day off in two years today," Yamazaki explained. Syaoran abruptly spun around.

"What!" Yamazaki flinched at his Prince's scream.

"Sorry, Prince, but you'll either have to stay home or leave by yourself, knowing you'll face your mother's wrath when you return," Yamazaki smiled.

* * *

"When Touya left home with you and Meilin, I couldn't handle it. Especially after he had just blown up at me. I mean, my God, I idolized him… and I was nothing more to him than an obstacle. That's why I left the first time. Except, I didn't actually _leave_. I remained with Clow, where no Seer could find me," Sakura began. She and Eriol met the day following their initial meeting in front of Hashi's shop. Eriol had led Sakura to a lush meadow right outside the palace walls, where they were hidden from view by a small hill and tall grass. Eriol nodded slowly, never taking his eyes off her.

"And the second time?"

_Sakura lay in her bed, a large comforter tucked around her as protection against the chill of the night. Staring at the ceiling of her bedroom, she spent the night wide awake, unable to sleep in what was now unfamiliar territory._

_Earlier that evening, she had returned to her mother and father, who had been mourning the loss of Touya. Clow had taken her in, protected her, and comforted her. But Sakura knew that she couldn't hide away forever. Not only could she not stand being locked away in the basement of the palace, but her mother was getting more ill by the day; Sakura needed to spend her last days with her. With a sigh, she recalled the reunion as being teary eyed and painful. Sakura and her brother put their parents through more hardships than any parent should have to endure._

_Sakura sat up in bed, slowly stepping onto the hardwood floor. Her long pink nightgown concealed her feet as she walked to the window, unconsciously using magic to muffle any creaks or thumps that would otherwise be heard. The window was already open and she breathed in the fresh air. The scents of home were so different than those of the palace, especially the confined spaces she was trapped in in order to stay hidden. _

_Something across the yard caught her eye. The large yet modest garden outside her window housed a great Juniper tree. Its leaves had been slowly drifting to the ground, creating an image of red, orange, and gold that meant autumn. Beneath the tree stood two lone figures, draped in heavy cloaks. One of the figures suddenly cried out, gripping his head in agony and falling to his knees._

_Sakura felt unafraid. The mysterious figures felt familiar… comforting, even._

_Unconcerned with her lack of fear, Sakura climbed out her window immediately, sensing that she was desperately needed. Dangling from the windowsill, Sakura didn't hesitate before she let go, an invisible pink cloud cushioning her fall from the second story window. Moving quickly toward the figures, one of which eagerly watched her approaching, she set a protective barrier around the entirety of the tree when she came within range. She stopped a few feet away from the cloaked figures, seeking answers._

"_Please, Sakura, he needs your help," the man still standing begged. He quickly removed his hood. Shocked and scared, Sakura was about to run away when the man removed the hood of his fallen colleague, Touya. "He can't handle this on his own," the first man pleaded with her._

_Glaring at him, Sakura motioned for him to step away from her brother. He did so immediately, raising his hands nonthreateningly. Once Sakura felt he was a safe distance away, she rushed to Touya, taking him in her arms._

"_Oh, Touya, what-" she stopped herself. Touya looked up at her, his face contorted in agony. His eyes glowed bright red. Shaking, Sakura did her best to lay Touya on his back, but he screamed and his body flailed about. Panicked, she tried to muffle his screams with her hand, but couldn't as long as he could not remain still. She tried again and again, but Touya was unnaturally strong and her muscles were aching, even with some help from her magic. Looking quickly about herself, she found the other man._

"_Eriol, help me!" She pulled his name from a distant memory. He didn't hesitate. He rushed over and held Touya down by his arms. After much struggling, Sakura was able to concentrate through her fear and panic and shot a bolt of magic through Touya's body, shocking him unconscious. His eyes closed, Sakura could no longer see the haunting blood red. "What happened?" Sakura whispered, her eyes never leaving Touya's face._

"_Meilin pushed him too hard. He lost control and they took advantage of it… I think they've completely taken over his body," Eriol explained in a shaky voice. Sakura knew who 'they' probably were. The spirits of the other world. "I didn't know who else to turn to. I was desperate. I haven't practiced magic in so long I… I mean I… You're the only one I know of who could and would help him," Eriol stuttered. Sakura shot him a look of surprise, backing away from him slightly. Eriol looked down quickly, concentrating on Touya's face. "I don't know how to help him."_

_Sakura nodded slowly, letting her suspicions pass for the moment. She took several deep breaths, surveying the yard. It seemed like the barrier had done its job, the lights of the house remaining unlit. Quickly, Sakura thought back to all of her lessons over the years, focusing on those pertaining to dark spirits and magic. They were few and far between. After several minutes, Sakura started to feel panic swell up inside her again, but a comforting hand on hers stopped it._

"_I know you can do this," Eriol promised her, looking into her eyes. Sakura never thought she could see such kindness in the eyes of an enemy. Slowly, though, she nodded and took a deep breath. She moved so that she sat cross legged with Touya's head in her lap, one hand placed above each ear. She bit her lip hard, causing a drop of blood to dribble down her chin. She watched as Eriol took out a handkerchief, of all things, and cleaned the blood. "Please, just relax. I won't do anything to hurt either of you," he promised again. Slowly, Sakura closed her eyes._

_She concentrated on Touya, not penetrating his mind, but feeling around it. She felt several foreign presences and it terrified her, but she did her best to remain calm. She remembered Eriol watching her and hoped that if what she now suspected was correct, he could help her. Sakura could practically hear the taunting voices, vicious screams, and hideous cackles echoing throughout Touya's mind. She could feel the evil making contact with her skin. She shuddered, her mind screaming at herself to pull away, but she felt Eriol's hands on hers again. She hated this man, her blood boiled just thinking about him. And yet at this moment, he would be the only thing pushing her through this. Touya needed her help._

_And suddenly, Sakura knew what to do. She dreaded it, but Eriol's hands on hers reminded her of a time when she was locked in the basement of the palace with Clow. She had everything she needed to help Touya. So, slowly but surely, Sakura started to penetrate Touya's mind, joining the chorus of voices that allowed her entrance. She could feel Eriol's hands tense up, but they remained faithful to her. That was all she needed._

_One by one, Sakura held on to the foreign entities with a vice-like grip. There were a few times when she could feel reality slipping away, but Eriol's hands, like Clow's, kept her grounded. The evil magic started to collect in her own mind, trained unwillingly to house it. When Clow had discovered the natural darkness within Sakura's magic, he made sure to train her in every way he could to protect her against it. This was one lesson she should have thought of immediately. Once she was sure Touya's mind was safe from the harm of these things, she snapped her hands away from his head. Eriol started to pull his own hands away, but Sakura held on to them as if her life depended on it. _

_Muttering under her breath, Sakura methodically banished the spirits from her mind. It was so difficult… They were so persuasive. She wanted, more than anything, to have what they were offering her. But Eriol's hands reminded her of reality and she quickly sifted through the spirits. Once it was finished, she slowly opened her eyes and glanced around unbelievingly. After several moments, her eyes focused on Eriol. He looked tired and worried sick._

"_What?" Sakura asked, her voice barely a whisper. Eriol shook his head slowly, his face transforming into amazement._

"_Sakura, you were sitting like this, gripping my hands, for at least an hour… Touya stopped shaking, though, so I take it you were able to help him," Eriol explained. Sakura stared at him, dazed._

"_I saved him," she stated. Eriol nodded slowly and looked at their hands, clasped together. Sakura did the same and slowly, reluctantly, let him go. Eriol also looked disappointed._

"_How do you not suffer the fate that Meilin Li, and now my brother, have?" Sakura asked him, a bit more strength in her voice. Eriol was confused._

"_What makes you think that I haven't? Or don't?" Eriol asked. Sakura frowned at him._

"_Your eyes aren't red. They weren't before, and they aren't now," she explained. Eriol looked even more confused._

"_I've never seen Meilin have red eyes. And Touya's eyes have never been red…" he trailed off. "Sakura, can you see a physical representation of dark magic?" Eriol watched her intently as she mulled this over in her head. She decided not to answer._

"_Touya should be fine. You should help me move him, though. I'll bet he'll be bedridden for a while," Sakura said. Eriol, letting the evasion go, nodded._

"_I can do that." _

_Sakura broke the barrier around the tree and the two of them moved Touya into the house. It was a slow and difficult process, especially trying not to wake up Sakura's parents, but they were successful. Once Touya was tucked in his old bed, Sakura closed the door to his room and had Eriol follow her to her own room. Once they were alone, they were silent. Eriol watched her and she watched the moon outside her window._

"_Thank you," Sakura said quietly after a few minutes. "Thank you for returning my brother to me." She knew that Eriol would have to turn into her enemy again soon. Eriol nodded, though she didn't see it._

"_I never wanted Touya to join us. To have the fate of a Seer is worse than death…" Eriol trailed off. Sakura glanced back at him. _

"_Then why is it the fate you have chosen?" she demanded, glaring. Eriol looked extremely sad for a moment._

"_Because when one has to choose between life and death… sometimes it's difficult not to be selfish," Eriol explained. Sakura looked disgusted._

"_And have you no regrets?"_

"_I regret everything I've done from the moment I accepted the offer," Eriol said firmly. He looked Sakura in the eyes, ignoring the awful glare. "Can you look at me and honestly say there is no hope for me left?" Sakura didn't respond. "Could you not save me?" Eriol started to move closer to the young woman, a look of longing in his eyes. Sakura looked down for a moment then returned to observing the moon._

"_Touya is one thing, Eriol. I grew up with him. But you… I don't know your story. The only way I believe you could find redemption is if you find your own way back."_

"Touya eventually decided to train for the Royal Guard, feeling that it was one of the few ways he could thank Clow for forgiving him. It took them a lot of time, but they mended their relationship… I left you for the same reason now as I gave you then, though. The only way you can find redemption is on your own," Sakura told Eriol. He watched a gentle breeze play with her hair.

"I've done my best to do that. Isn't Spinel returning to me enough proof for you?" Eriol wondered. Sakura glanced at him curiously.

"Return?" she inquired. Eriol sighed.

"I grew up in the Reed Kingdom, Sakura… I have a feeling you know what I am," Eriol spoke quietly. "Spinel was my guardian from the time I was born. But when the Seers came for me and I accepted their offer, Spinel was betrayed. So he left me… I was only ten at the time." He sounded somewhat angry. Sakura looked at him.

"Why do you want my approval so badly, Eriol?" she asked. She was genuinely interested in knowing. She had encountered this man twice before now. The first time he had taken her brother from her and declared her as Clow's heir, betraying her. The second time they were only joined together to save the life of someone whom they both cared for.

"Because…" Eriol couldn't look at her anymore. He looked into the distance, unsure of how to voice his feelings. "Sakura, I've felt a deep connection to you since the moment I first saw you… In Touya's bedroom at Clow's palace." He hoped that was enough. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sakura nodding.

"I think it's because…" she hesitated. Leaning over, she gently grabbed his chin and turned him to look at her again. Then, making sure it was hidden by their bodies, she placed her hand on the ground. Slowly, a bright green stem was raised from the ground, short and delicate. A green bulb adorned the top, unopened. Eriol understood. Sakura thinks it is because of their magic. Eriol never confirmed it when he brought Touya to her, but at this moment he would. He placed his hand on top of hers, willing the bulb to open. Unnaturally quick, soft white petals unfolded from within the green cocoon, turning into a beautiful decoration. Confidently, Eriol picked the new flower and tucked it behind Sakura's ear, surprising her. But now she knew for sure that Eriol Hiiragizawa had magic. They both did.

"Eriol… I have considered you my enemy for a very long time," Sakura started.

"I haven't been a Seer since the night you saved Touya, Sakura. I have done everything in my power to better myself, with the benefit of mankind being kept in mind," Eriol interrupted. His eyes pleaded with her.

"If Spinel has accepted you once again… then I know I should give you a chance. Guardians are such pure, powerful creatures… I know he wouldn't have returned to your side if he didn't feel you were worthy," Sakura said, touching the flower adorning her hair. Eriol leaned toward her, hopeful.

"Judging from what I saw at the Li's palace the other night, I know that you are a relatively important person. But I'll trust Spinel's judgement and trust you are remaining there for good reason… it could undoubtedly be extremely beneficial to us in the future." Sakura paused, taking another deep breath. "I'll give you a chance, Eriol." Eriol smiled brightly at this. This unexplained devotion he had always felt toward this girl, even while apart for most of their lives, had finally been satisfied. He could now allow himself to dwell on actual possibilities.

Sakura stood and dusted herself off. Eriol quickly followed suit, unwilling to let her leave him now. There was so much they hadn't talked about.

"I should go. I've been gone for a while," Sakura muttered, glancing back at Eriol. He nodded and watched her turn to leave, but quickly grabbed her hand. She turned back to him, the question obvious.

"When can I see you again?" he begged. Sakura gave him a small smile.

"How often can you get away from the palace?"

* * *

Please review!


	10. Chapter 10

Eriol Hiiragizawa lay in his bed, admiring the rays of the rising sun lighting up his room. With a sigh of contentment, he scratched Spinel between his ears and sat up, stretching. He watched as Spinel sleepily stood and made his way to Eriol's pillow, claiming the spot where his head once laid. With a small smile, Eriol left his bed and made his way to a narrow door on the far side of the room. Entering the small bathroom, he surveyed the bathtub and brass sink, ever thankful for the royal perks he received. Turning a single knob on the tub, Eriol stripped himself of his sleepwear and waited patiently for his bath.

Glancing up at the small mirror that hung above his sink, he rubbed the bridge of his nose, where his glasses usually lay. Then running his fingers through his hair, he noted that he was starting to look a bit rough, and vowed to get cleaned up tomorrow morning. Perhaps this time he would go into town for a barber…

Eriol leaned over and turned the knob again, cutting off the flow of water. Dipping a hand into the cold water, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, waiting until he felt warm steam caressing his face. With a grin, Eriol slipped into the water and lay back, his only goal to relax before the workday had to begin. He started humming nonchalantly, enjoying his own thoughts of a certain sorceress.

"Eriol, where the hell are you?" Eriol flinched when he heard the outside door to his bedroom slam open, vibrating against the wall. The angry voice and stomping of his work interrupting his quiet time, Eriol sighed as the bathroom door slammed open, making much the same noise as the first door. "What made you think you could take a vacation without notifying me first?"

Eriol cracked an eye open and beheld Prince Syaoran Li, standing above him with a signature glare and his hands on his hips. Glancing down, Eriol gratefully noted that the steam of his bath was no longer visible.

"Why, my dear cousin, I thought for sure that you could take care of yourself for a few hours. But perhaps I was mistaken… You are only twenty-one, much too young to be wandering off alone…" Eriol smiled as Syaoran huffed.

"You have no way to prove that we are actually related. And the only reason you even _have_ this job is because Mother demands that I have companionship! I would much rather have you thrown to the bottom of the lake with a boulder attached to your ankle!" Syaoran Li yelled angrily. Eriol chuckled in response, enjoying his Prince's agitation.

"Then Mommy agrees! Twenty-one _is_ much too young to be wandering off alone. If only you were in my shoes, free and independent, able to chase after any girl you want and drink at any bar on the street…" Eriol laughed again as Syaoran sneered at him.

"As if anyone would want that. Now get the hell out of there, I wanted to start my day over an hour ago!" Syaoran huffed again as he turned on his heel and stomped out of the bathroom and the bedroom. Eriol sighed as the smile was wiped off his face and he sunk lower into the tub.

"The knots in my back were just beginning to unwind," he complained.

* * *

Syaoran glared at Eriol as he entered the parlor, laying back on a plush couch and sighing. The two men stared at each other for a few moments.

"We're going into town today," Syaoran announced. Eriol sighed.

"Is that what had you so upset? Because you wanted to go exploring yesterday? You could have taken Yamazaki with you or something…" Eriol complained. Syaoran narrowed his eyes.

"You know Mother won't accept me going into the city with anyone but you. I don't know what makes _you_ so special, but I'd rather deal with it than face Mother's rage," Syaoran grumbled. Eriol chuckled delightedly.

"Poor Syao, so scared of his mommy…" Eriol muttered. Syaoran glared harder at him.

"Says the man terrified to be in the same room as the Queen. Stop being so disrespectful," Syaoran demanded as he stood, marching out of the room. Eriol sighed again and got up to follow him. Soon enough, the men were walking through the palace grounds with their horses in tow, waiting to reach the gate to mount. Once they left the palace behind, they both trotted toward the city square, receiving both looks of awe and glares filled with disgust from the people along the streets.

"Why the sudden urge to explore, Your Majesty?" Eriol questioned, ignoring the looks and staring straight ahead. He rode slightly behind Syaoran, a respectful distance away.

"I would like to observe my people," Syaoran grumbled, glaring back at all of his more angry citizens. Eriol glanced at him.

"Observe? Whatever for? You haven't been having any… fun, have you?" Eriol grinned. Syaoran turned and glared daggers at the other man.

"Mind your tongue, Hiiragizawa. All I am doing is my duty as the Prince of this Kingdom and the leader of this city," Syaoran bit out. Eriol shrugged and kept smiling.

"Of course, Your Majesty. Such a man has no weaknesses," he teased. Syaoran didn't dignify the jaunt with a response and nudged his horse into a canter, Eriol following suit. They rode for the next few minutes in silence, noticing the streets slowly losing the crowds of people. "What's going on?" Eriol muttered with a frown. He quickened his horse and moved in front of Syaoran, leading the small party.

When they reached the city square, there was no one in sight. A large marble fountain filled the area with the sound of gushing water. The men's horses halted next to the fountain and they dismounted, tying them to a post close to the water. As the horses drank their fill, Syaoran and Eriol slowly surveyed the area, Syaoran's hand on the hilt of his extravagant sword and Eriol's clutching a pistol. Slowly making their way in a circle around the fountain, they froze when they heard a crash. Syaoran rushed toward the noise, Eriol close behind him.

"Please, I haven't done anything wrong! I never will! Please, I need to care for my child—" the voice was cut off with the sound of a fist making contact with another body and a strangled gasp. A screaming child could be heard.

"What's going on here?" Syaoran demanded as the men reached the scene. Two figures in red and black robes stood menacingly before a sobbing woman on her knees in the middle of the street. She was surrounded by a basket and scattered supplies while a young girl with short red hair sat curled up against the side of a building, tears and snot running down her face. One of the robed figures whirled around, a bright smile on her beautiful face.

"Oh, Syao! Such luck!" Meilin Li launched herself at the prince when he came within reach, a look of shock on his face. Eriol smiled delightedly at the two, enjoying Syaoran's discomfort.

"Meilin?! What are you doing here? Do not call me that," Syaoran growled, pushing the Seer off of himself. Meilin pouted. "What is going on here?" he demanded. Eriol walked passed the two and nodded to the other Seer, who simply tugged his hood further over his eyes. Paying him no mind, Eriol regarded the woman and child. The woman's skin seemed to glow. Eriol stopped abruptly before her with a quick intake of breath.

"He knows," Meilin sneered. Syaoran glared at her again and looked expectantly at Eriol, knowing of his previous employment. Eriol clenched his fist and watched the woman with pity in his eyes. She looked hopefully up at him.

"A mage," Eriol explained, knowing he had no way out of this.

"A witch," Syaoran snapped. He shoved his way past Meilin, who simply latched onto his arm. Looking down at the woman with a hard look on his face, Syaoran questioned her. "Do you know of the crimes you have committed?" The woman gasped and flinched, quickly falling into a bow of respect.

"Please, Your Majesty, I have never used this curse. I never will, I only wish to provide for my daughter," the woman begged, her forehead on the ground. Syaoran let out a quick, dry laugh.

"Possession is crime enough. Meilin, are you aware if she has used?" Syaoran didn't take his eyes off of the woman. Eriol glanced at the young girl in the background, who was frozen with fear.

"No, I don't think so. I was just going to take her to the prison," Meilin explained. Eriol raised an eyebrow at her.

"Would she have no trial?" he questioned. Meilin gave him a look of disgust.

"Trial my ass. Even a weakling like you can see that she has _magic_," she sneered. Syaoran nodded in agreement. Eriol gave him a look of disappointment, turning away.

"Of course you're right," Eriol sighed, covering for himself. He closed his eyes and turned away from the woman and child. "You need to take her to Block R. D is getting crowded." Eriol smiled as he gave Meilin the order, who narrowed her eyes at him. Syaoran nodded, though. The second Seer quickly grabbed the woman by her hair and pulled her to her feet. She cried out in pain and the child whimpered.

"Off you go, then," Syaoran muttered as he pushed Meilin away. She ignored his rudeness and smiled brightly at him again.

"I'm going to see you tonight for dinner, Syao!" She ran after her hooded friend, her long black hair flowing behind her. Syaoran sighed, glancing at the child.

"Hmph, don't plan on it… So I assume she doesn't have any?" he asked Eriol, glaring at the girl. She had her head in her hands.

"I don't see anything wrong with her," Eriol muttered. Syaoran nodded and looked around, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Eriol, how long have the Seers been back in the city?" he asked. Eriol grinned at him.

"You mean you didn't know? Oh, how very irresponsible of you! Losing track of a group of people who _should_ be under your direct supervision… They've really gotten full of themselves, haven't they? Just wandering about…" Eriol trailed off and laughed as Syaoran smacked him upside the head. "A couple of weeks, as far as I know… I believe they had some news for the Queen, which probably resulted in the order to stay in the city," Eriol answered, shrugging. Syaoran started walking away, Eriol right in step with him. "I suppose they've been getting bored. I rarely see them around the palace, so they must be here all the time." Syaoran grunted as he untied his horse and mounted, Eriol pausing beside him.

"Eriol, I want a meeting with my mother as soon as we return this evening. I won't be having anything kept from me in my own city," Syaoran ordered. Eriol frowned and glanced back at the little girl, who was watching them. As Syaoran's horse started walking away, he untied his own horse and mounted, following closely behind.

They headed toward the East end of the city, to the main gate. They rode in silence for five minutes before they started seeing the citizens again, walking from shop to shop, glancing and bowing at them as they passed. Eriol watched storekeepers slam their doors shut. Glancing to his right, they passed the collection of blacksmiths in the city and kept going.

Eriol chewed his lip in thought. The Queen only ever told Syaoran what she felt he needed to know and apparently this wasn't it. Eriol had always been okay with that. It made teasing the prince so much easier. But with the sorceress influencing his life again, Eriol felt as if he should choose a side… and stay there. Perhaps if Syaoran knew select information on Eriol's terms, Eriol could better control his actions.

"There's no need to speak to your Mother," Eriol announced. Syaoran glanced back at him.

"And why is that?"

"Because I'm positive I know why the Seers are here," Eriol responded. Syaoran stopped and turned his horse to face Eriol. Eriol glanced behind himself, where the blacksmiths would be. It would be a good idea to keep Syaoran away from his mother as much as possible.

"Well?" Syaoran insisted impatiently. Eriol slowly turned back to the prince and moved his horse to stand next to him, so he could speak quietly.

"Because Clow Reed lives," Eriol whispered. Syaoran flinched, narrowing his eyes at the other man.

"That isn't possible," Syaoran growled. "Besides, wouldn't the Seers be sent to his kingdom in that case?"

"Perhaps the Seers believe there is a very good chance Clow Reed has spies here," Eriol whispered. He grinned at the prince. "Security has gotten very lax around here." Syaoran glared at his companion.

"With the Seers here, security must be better than ever. Clow Reed doesn't employ anyone without magic. They'll be found out the moment they make even the tiniest mistake," Syaoran whispered fiercely. Eriol pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and resisted glancing back at the street of blacksmiths again.

"Your Majesty, I wouldn't underestimate any sort of threat right now… Not in the current state the city is in," he suggested. Syaoran snorted.

"Under my rule, Reed will be disposed of and this city will be more prosperous than it ever has been. It is only a matter of time." Syaoran turned and urged his horse to start walking away. Eriol didn't move.

"Your majesty," Eriol's voice dropped an octave. "How much time are you counting on in your current… condition? Do you truly believe the Queen will so easily retire when it is your hands she must leave the kingdom in?" Eriol saw his prince's hands tighten on the reigns of his horse and his body go rigid.

"Watch your tongue, _Seer_, else you will lose it." Syaoran started galloping away, cries of astonishment erupting from the passersby. Eriol glared in his direction until something caught his attention. Turning his head to his right, he caught Sakura staring at him, hidden behind the corner of a building. With a small smile he turned his horse in the direct of the city square, gave Sakura an urgent look, and then turned back to gallop after the Prince.


	11. Chapter 11

Sakura sat with a scowl on her face, staring out the window of her little room while Tomoyo combed her wet hair. A little girl with red hair lay on her cot on the far wall, sound asleep.

"How did you find her?" Tomoyo questioned, tugging on an especially stubborn knot. Sakura shrugged.

"She was just sitting on the edge of the street, crying. I asked a nearby storeowner if they knew what had happened and they said her mother was taken away… and her father is in the army. She was too torn up to tell me where she lived, so I brought her here," Sakura explained. Tomoyo nodded, a worried frown on her face.

"Her mother had magic, didn't she?" Tomoyo freed the knot and picked up a pair of scissors. Confidently, she began to trim Sakura's hair, holding her head still when she tried to swivel around in surprise.

"What makes you think that?"

"I know Touya and you think me naïve, and maybe I am, but I am a relatively smart person. I know all about the politics of this war…" Tomoyo trailed off, concentrating on cutting at a straight angle. The scissors were dull and she made a mental note to ask Touya to sharpen them later.

"I guess it was just hopeful thinking…" Sakura sighed. Tomoyo glared at the back of her head.

"Why? Because I would be even more of a burden knowing what's going on around here?" she demanded. Sakura flinched as another piece of her hair was snipped off.

"No, I'm sorry, I'm just—"

"Suspicious of me," Tomoyo finished. Sakura quieted and became very still. Tomoyo kept to her work. "I've thought about it long and hard. How could I have possibly come as far as I have on my own?" she mumbled. They spent a few minutes in silence as Tomoyo finished her task. When she was finished she started running her fingers through Sakura's hair, admiring it. "Please, remember Spinel and Cerberus… the lights that were with me when you found me. They're the reason I made it so far and they're the reason we found each other. There's no reason for you to be so suspicious of me… because not even I understand the powers at work here." Sakura nodded slowly, a look of confusion on her face.

"Cerberus?" she asked, turning around to face Tomoyo. Tomoyo nodded.

"Yes, don't you remember? He was with me, then he went to you, then he disappeared…" Tomoyo took in Sakura's look of confusion. "You mean you don't remember? Touya asked me about a book from the king…" Tomoyo whispered. "He said you thought it was connected to me." Sakura frowned, displeased with Touya's actions. "Judging from the timing and all, I assumed you came to the conclusion from Cerberus…" Tomoyo trailed off. Sakura still looked confused.

"I remember mentioning that to Touya _privately_, yes, but I didn't say it because… well… it was instinct," Sakura argued. Tomoyo raised a delicate eyebrow.

"Instinct connected me to a king?" The little girl stirred in her sleep and the two young women quieted down. Sakura glared at Tomoyo who just looked at her strangely. Sakura stood to change into her ever present shorts and a shirt slightly fancier than the one she had been traveling in. Tomoyo stopped her, however, with a peculiar glint in her eye. Huffing, Sakura raised her brows in question as Tomoyo reached under her cot and, with a flourish, produced a light green dress with a lacey bust and a knee length skirt.

"I'd been waiting for an opportune moment to give this to you, but now that you're all cleaned up…" Tomoyo smiled brightly. "I grabbed it at the shop. I was hoping it would fit you and I just know it'll look gorgeous!" Tomoyo announced. Sakura looked genuinely shocked, staring at the dress.

"Tomoyo, I told you that I don't need anything new," she stated. Tomoyo shook her head vigorously.

"Sakura, you told me you would kill to wash your hair and wear a pretty dress… and here is your opportunity. We're not running through the forest anymore," Tomoyo reasoned. Sakura bit her lip and took the dress into her hands. The dress was obviously not of the best quality, but it was pretty. Glancing quickly at Tomoyo, she changed into the dress. Tomoyo danced with glee, pushing Sakura back down to a sitting position once she was dressed and got to work on her long hair.

"Tomoyo, you don't need to—"

"Shush!" Tomoyo ordered. She was smiling brightly as she put half of Sakura's hair in an intricate braid, tying off the end with a strip of cloth. Sakura sighed and looked down at the dress, touching her hair.

"Thank you, Tomoyo," she said quietly. Tomoyo popped up in front of her, smiling brightly.

"And about Cerberus, Sakura—" Sakura held her hand up to silence Tomoyo.

"I don't know where you got your ideas from, Tomoyo, but I don't remember seeing anything but Spinel. And I don't want to speak about this Cerberus," she stated, leaving no room for argument. Tomoyo gave her another strange look and nodded slowly. Sakura stood. "Now you should be cleaning up, too." Sakura left the room before Tomoyo could respond and shut the door behind herself. Stopping in the hallway, she moaned and rubbed her temples. "Now why does my memory suddenly feel so fuzzy…"

Stopping at the end of the hallway, Sakura paused to slip her boots on. When she stepped out into the shop, her eyes immediately found Hashi, Touya, and two young men holding a long sword in their hands. "It's a family heirloom…" one with dark hair was saying as his eyes found Sakura. She smiled politely as he paused, causing Hashi and Touya to turn around.

"Akane! What a lovely surprise!" Hashi smiled broadly, leaning heavily on his cane and favoring his uninjured leg. Touya frowned and glanced back at the customers, a slight glare in his eyes. "And what a pretty dress! Why, I was beginning to forget you were a girl…" Hashi laughed heartily.

"Ha ha," Sakura laughed sarcastically with him as she approached the group. The customers were still gawking at her as she came closer. Her boots were short, reaching her mid-calf, leaving her legs bare up to a spot just above her knees, where the dress started. The bodice hugged her breasts and the sleeves hung slightly off her shoulders. Sakura stared back at the men awkwardly as she pulled her quickly drying hair over one shoulder.

"It's hard to believe one could ever forget a young woman like this," one of the men shook out of his stupor and grinned cutely. His black hair was combed back and his face was tanned by the sun. The man looked familiar, but Sakura couldn't quite put her finger on it. Touya cleared his throat.

"We've been discussin' a tact for repairin' this sword here…" Touya mumbled, an accent of the Borderlands thick in his voice. Sakura's eyes widened with realization.

"And there's the other one," the dark haired man's companion smiled, dimples in his cheeks. Sakura glanced back at the hallway, seeing Tomoyo enter in a floor-length dress.

"Oh, you're the nice men from the gates!" Tomoyo smiled, immediately catching on. Sakura turned back to the men with a smile, ashamed to have been caught off guard. The companion, a man with light hair and blue eyes, shifted to see the newcomer better.

"It's strange to run into all of you here. And am I sensing a bit of a lag in that accent, Jiro?" he winked at Touya, who shuffled uncomfortably. Hashi, however, laughed it off.

"Akane and Aria are the classiest peasants you'll ever meet, but I refused to take Jiro in unless we worked on that horrible grammar!" Hashi shook his head at Touya. "Can't have my customers thinking we're not capable of our work, now, can we?" Touya shook his head quickly, standing up straighter. The customers smiled goodheartedly.

"Well, it's working," the dark haired man replied. He looked directly at Sakura. "I don't believe we ever had the chance to properly introduce ourselves… My name is Yamazaki Takashi." He stepped forward with his hand held out. Sakura extended hers with the intent she shake his in welcoming, but he quickly brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. Sakura couldn't help but blush slightly as Touya tried burning a hole in the back of the soldier's head with his eyes.

"And I am Eren." The blonde soldier became bold enough to squeeze passed everyone else and make his way to Tomoyo, giving her a sweet smile. She smiled brightly in return as Touya's glare moved to the blonde. Touya cleared his throat loudly.

"I think we c'n have this repaired within the next two weeks… It'll be good 's new," Touya growled. The blonde turned back around.

"That's great news! Ne, Yamazaki?" Eren grinned as he turned back to Tomoyo. "Your name is Aria, isn't it..." He started a conversation with Tomoyo, who giggled flirtatiously, much to Sakura and Touya's discomfort.

"So… Eh, Akane…" Sakura turned curiously to Yamazaki, the question in her eyes. Before Yamazaki could continue, a loud thump was heard in the back. Touya and Sakura instantly froze, spreading their feet apart in readiness. Tomoyo thought quickly.

"Oh, that chest! I brought home some of my work and I guess it fell off my bed after all of my rushing earlier… I should have just put it on the floor…" Tomoyo turned around quickly, but was stopped as Hashi limped passed her.

"I'll check on it, child. It's only fabric, I'll make sure it didn't break anything else in its fall…" he mumbled as he shuffled down the hallway.

"Work?" Sakura questioned. Tomoyo grinned delightedly and clapped her hands together.

"Oh, Akane! I forgot to tell you! When you left on that walk about a week ago, I went around the area looking for work… and I ran into Kagi again! Remember him? Well, his wife was fixing up that dress we sold him and she loved the craftsmanship so much that they hired me to help out! They sent me home with a bunch of torn fabric to repair. I'll be working there every morning starting next week," Tomoyo explained, excited. Sakura smiled uneasily in return.

"The merchant? That's great… It's good you've found something so quickly," she said. Yamazaki cleared his throat and Sakura turned back to face him. He was handing Touya his sword, grinning at her.

"It was absolutely wonderful to see you again…" Yamazaki started.

"You two should join us for lunch, our treat," Eren finished. He was still smiling at Tomoyo, who was laughing at something he had said. Sakura flinched as Touya 'accidently' dropped a hammer and yelled 'oops!'

"We can't, actually," Sakura said, taking a small step back as Yamazaki moved closer. He looked genuinely disappointed.

"What are you talking about, Akane? We were already planning on lunch, this way we just have some company…" Tomoyo smiled at Eren. Touya glared at her, dropping the hammer again. Tomoyo grinned at Sakura apologetically.

* * *

"So the raven swooshed down with the key gripped in its beak, clawing out the soldier's eyes and flying away, never to be seen again…" Yamazaki ranted on about an old legend, Sakura staring at him with wide eyes. Eren stared at him incredulously as Tomoyo giggled, watching Sakura's expression.

"To think that such a battle would start over a little kitten…" Sakura muttered, every word of Yamazaki's story sinking in. Tomoyo sighed, wondering how someone like Sakura could believe such a thing. The four of them had finished eating a small lunch of bread and stew some time ago, remaining at their table to exchange stories. Yamazaki's continuous talking soon relaxed Sakura's tense muscles as Eren flirted endlessly with Tomoyo.

Suddenly, a crash was heard as a man was flung through a window across the street. Yamazaki and Eren leapt to their feet and moved in front of the girls as yelling and screaming was heard. Sakura glared through a gap between the men as she saw two robed figures climb through the smashed window. Yamazaki noticeably tensed and immediately returned to his seat, staring down at the table. Sakura watched questionably as Eren glanced at his partner with a pained look on his face before reclaiming his seat next to Tomoyo.

"Two in one day…?" Tomoyo muttered in Sakura's ear. Sakura clenched her teeth as she glared at the robed figures head on, clenching her fists. As they grabbed the man on the ground, ranting and bleeding, she moved to stand and come to his rescue, but Tomoyo's hand gripping hers kept her rooted to her seat. She turned to Yamazaki and Eren, her mouth open to yell at them, but stopped when she saw the looks on their faces. Yamazaki sat glaring at the table, his knuckles turning white with the intensity of his clenched fists. Eren held his head in his hands, blocking out the scene.

Sakura didn't look as the man was dragged away screaming. Slowly, everyone went back to their business, avoiding the dangerous mess now scattered along the street. Once the robed figures were out of sight, Yamazaki stood slowly and made his way to the broken window, Eren in tow. Glancing quickly at Tomoyo, who nodded, the girls followed them. Yamazaki had climbed into the dark shop through the broken window and emerged with a broom and a burlap sack. The soldiers got to work cleaning up the mess, citizens skirting around them in their hurry. Sakura took a deep breath and marched over to a neighboring shop.

"Excuse me, sir, do you know if that man had a wife or children?" Sakura asked the shopkeeper. He glanced at her nervously, quickly surveying the area for any unwanted ears.

"No, not that I know of. And I've worked next to him for the past ten years. To think, he was one of them…" he mumbled, hurrying away from Sakura. She glared at his retreating back.

"Sakura…" Tomoyo cupped one of Sakura's hands in her own, looking worriedly at her. "I don't think this is a problem you can fix." Sakura sighed, pulling her hand from Tomoyo's grip. The two girls watched Yamazaki and Eren work steadily, ending by hammering a torn piece of cloth over the shattered glass.

"What will happen to his shop?" Sakura asked Yamazaki as he approached her. He sighed.

"When he's registered at the prison, he'll tell them he was a shopkeeper. The palace will repossess the building and sell it to the highest bidder," he explained. Sakura nodded slowly, looking at the dark shop. It hadn't been opened the entire time they had been in the area, she realized. Eren smiled apologetically.

"What can you do, though? We can't have people like that around…" he trailed off, looking to the side. Tomoyo frowned at him as Yamazaki clenched his jaw. "Perhaps we should move to a different spot?" Eren smiled brightly at Tomoyo. "I'm not quite ready to end the day with you girls yet," he said hopefully. Tomoyo gave him a smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Yamazaki glanced curiously at Sakura.

"You know, I'm sure Tomoyo has a lot of work to do. And with Hashi's injury, I should really be helping Touya out…" Sakura fidgeted as she gave her excuses. Tomoyo didn't answer.

"We should walk you back, then," Yamazaki smiled somewhat sadly. Sakura nodded and turned on her heel, leading the way. Everyone rushed to keep up with her. When they reached Hashi's shop, Hashi was nowhere in sight. Touya was pounding away diligently at a piece of metal in the back, not noticing the new arrivals. Tomoyo quickly said goodbye to Eren, who tried and failed to make her stay behind. Sakura was about to follow Tomoyo into the shop when a hand on her own stopped her.

"Akane…" Yamazaki was looking down at his feet. Sakura bit her lip and gently pulled her hand away. He looked up at her urgently. He glanced to his right at Eren's retreating back and spoke quickly. "Please, don't let what happened today mold your opinion of me. I'm not… I mean, I don't agree…" he couldn't seem to explain himself. With a deep breath, Yamazaki fisted his right hand over his heart and spread his feet apart, standing tall. His other hand was clenched firmly behind his back. With a shocked gasp, Sakura stumbled back, only to bump into the door frame. Yamazaki grinned at her. "I had a feeling you would know…" He took a step toward her, knowing she couldn't back away, and took her hand again. "I saw Aria stop you… Akane, please let me see you again." His eyes pleaded her. Sakura swallowed a lump in her throat and looked down at their hands.

"Perhaps…" she couldn't help herself. Yamazaki smiled.

"I'll find you, then," he said and fisted his hand over his heart for her once more. He cautiously glanced around himself as he walked away, working up to a jog to catch up to Eren.

Sakura jumped as she felt a hand gripping her shoulder and spun around. Touya stood behind her, his narrowed eyes watching Yamazaki.

"Did that soldier just give you Clow's salute?"

* * *

Please review.


	12. Chapter 12

Sakura lay curled up in her bed, watching Tomoyo braid the little redhead's hair, using the wrist of her injured hand to hold everything in place. The small girl still hadn't spoken, not even to Hashi. Touya sat next to Sakura on her cot, watching the girl drift in and out of sleep.

"You should have tried harder, Sakura… Tomoyo doesn't know what's going on here. You can't be out with soldiers. And you can't stick around when a Seer is nearby," Touya whispered when he heard Tomoyo begin to chat to the little girl, who didn't seem to be hearing her.

"Maybe Tomoyo's instincts were right… who would suspect friends of soldiers of anything?" Sakura mumbled. Touya shook his head.

"I know how talented you are, but that doesn't mean you should be taking unnecessary risks," Touya pointed out. Sakura bit her lip, watching Tomoyo, and reached up to grip her pendant in her hand. Clow's pendant.

"Touya, why has there always been something about her… What do I see in her?" she asked her brother. Touya glanced between Tomoyo and Sakura, narrowing his eyes.

"I've never been able to… _see_ anything special. But I often times never understand your reasoning for the things you do. You seemed so sure of yourself when we found her… when you bandaged her up, when you told me about the book, when we discovered who was after her… I don't know why you chose her and I don't know why you're suddenly doubting yourself. But I trust your instincts completely. You should, too," Touya explained. Sakura glanced up at him and slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes. The little redhead glanced at the siblings, quickly turning away when Sakura noticed. Grabbing Touya's hand, Sakura stood, taking him with her. Frowning, Touya said nothing as she led him out of the room. Tomoyo watched them leave, continually talking to the girl.

Hashi glanced up at the siblings as they entered the shop, sipping on a hot cup of tea. Sakura let go of Touya's hand and sat across from the old blacksmith, Touya following her lead.

"What's going on?" Touya asked as Sakura slipped her pendant over her head and set it on the table. Hashi said nothing as he observed.

"Touya, I need you to look at this necklace… look long and hard. And tell me if you see even a glimmer of magic," Sakura requested. Touya knit his brows together and watched his sister for a moment, making a decision. Then, with a sigh, he narrowed his eyes at the necklace on the table. Hashi did the same.

Several minutes passed as the men watched the trinket, unmoving on the table. Hashi's tea was forgotten and Sakura fiddled her thumbs, waiting as the clouds outside created shadows through the windows, blocking the moon's light. With a sharp intake of breath, Touya slowly reached out to touch the pendant. Before he could make contact, the necklace jumped out of his reach and clattered on the table, directly in front of Sakura.

"What I'm seeing here is not yours, is it, child?" Hashi asked gruffly. Sakura watched the pendant, tense.

"No, it isn't mine," she answered.

"It's a guardian," Touya stated, his eyes still narrowed. Sakura looked at him.

"How can you be so sure?" she asked. Hashi nodded in agreement.

"A lesson with… a lesson years ago," Touya answered. He sighed. "The aura of a guardian is immensely different from that of a human or mage. How long has that thing been in there? I've never noticed it before…" Touya's eyes turned into a glare.

"It has probably been hiding its aura, like Akane and I do," Hashi said, meeting Touya's frown with a stern look. "Yes, I am like she. Don't act so surprised. But this guardian probably sensed Akane's curiosity… and allowed us to see it, if only for a second." Hashi reached up to stroke his beard, deep in thought. "Child, how long have you suspected?" Sakura shrugged.

"I think at some point I might have known… but I forgot. I don't know. I would say around the time we found To- Aria," Sakura said quickly. Hashi nodded slowly, ignoring her mistake.

"So you found her?" he asked. Sakura bit her lip and nodded.

"You knew? But you forgot? What are you talking about?" Touya questioned.

"When we met Tomoyo back at the border, I was so sure about her… and I was so sure she had something to do with that book, like I told you before," Sakura started. Touya nodded, urging her to go on. "But then I started thinking about how Tomoyo got to us… how far she had come in such a short time. And why would guardians be attached to someone with no magic? But that's when I started having trouble…" she sighed. "Ever since I made that connection, anything I think about Tomoyo is somewhat fuzzy. I know I should trust her, I just don't know how." Touya nodded.

"If it helps you out, I don't trust her at all," he pointed out. Hashi huffed.

"She's such a pleasant girl to be around. I'd choose her any day over the two of you…" he mumbled. Sakura looked offended. Touya crossed his arms over his chest, thinking.

"Sakura, remember those lessons we had when I would try to break into your mind? And vice versa? Wasn't it said that outside influences were especially dangerous to your mind… doesn't that special _circumstance_ about your magic make your mind especially delicate?" he asked. Sakura glared at him.

"Not delicate. Just different. And I wouldn't think that any of that would have to do with my memory," she stated.

"How long has it been since you've used your magic?" Hashi asked softly. Sakura shook her head sadly.

"Not since we found Aria."

"So it's been… three weeks?" he asked. Touya nodded.

"About," he responded. Sakura agreed. Hashi sighed.

"Maybe your magic is coming into play here. If magic lies dormant in a body for too long, it starts to act on its own… I wouldn't say three weeks is a long time, but it's possible. If outside influences are especially harmful to your mind, Akane, and you've been trained to repel them, then I would say your magic has been helping you out in its own way. Guardians need a connection with the body _and_ mind in order to attach themselves to a mage," Hashi suggested. Sakura frowned.

"What should I do, then?" she asked.

"We need to find a place where you can release some of that pent up power… if a couple weeks is your limit, then we need to find a place that you can visit frequently, too. Then you need to open your mind to this new creature. A guardian is much too great a gift to deny," Hashi advised. Sakura gave a frustrated grunt.

"Where am I going to practice any magic in the middle of the capital? Right under the royal family's nose? And how can I open my mind to one creature without inviting everyone in the kingdom to waltz in?" she demanded. Hashi raised an eyebrow at her.

"Girl, it is possible to give access to your mind to a single person. Or specific people. It's difficult and takes a lot of practice, but it's possible. And this guardian must believe you're capable of the job," Hashi pointed out.

"I've never heard of that…" Sakura mumbled. Touya nodded.

"I tried learning it when I was… uh… away. But I couldn't do it. Our teacher was probably waiting to start that training until you had a more perfect control over your magic," he said. Sakura rested her head on her hand, looking at Hashi.

"And would you be willing to teach me, Hashi?" Hashi chuckled softly.

"What makes you believe I know how to do it?" he asked. Sakura sighed.

* * *

Yukito Tsukishiro leaned back in his chair, scrutinizing a berry clutched between his index finger and thumb. He was dressed confidently in a dark blue suit, something he only pulled out for special occasions. With a satisfied little smile, Yukito dropped the berry into his mouth and chewed slowly, closing his eyes in contentment.

"Your Majesty, it is always such an honor to dine with you. Such fine foods should never be wasted on the less fortunate…" He hummed as he picked a triangle of aged cheese from the plate in front of him, stacked full with different cuts of meat, cheeses, and fruits. He plopped the cheese into his mouth. Reaching out to grab a slice of beef, he added it to the succulent flavors in his mouth, chewing slowly.

A tall woman sat before him, her face revealing no emotion. She was beautiful, with impossibly long black hair decorated with flowers and gems. She wore red and gold silk robes over an extravagant dress. She was watching Yukito closely, having finished her meal long ago, and held a heavy scepter laden with jewels across her lap.

"Yukito," her voice was like ice, tearing through the man's soft sighs of pleasure as he ate. He continued to chew, however, and merely responded by looking into her eyes. The piercing shade of black surrounding her pupils did nothing to upset his mood. "You've wasted enough of my time."

"When have I ever been a waste of your time, my beautiful queen? I live only to serve you and this kingdom… I only wish that we could spend more time together," Yukito said with a dramatic sigh. The queen's face remained unchanged. "I have a feeling, though… a feeling you've already heard what I am going to tell you." He frowned at her, picking up a goblet of wine. "I have several other suspicions, though."

"Oh?" she inquired.

"One is that you haven't been told the whole truth… The second is that what I believe to be the whole truth is not. And another…" He looked down and took a sip of his wine, taking his time, tasting it. "Your Majesty, there is a very good chance that the powerful forces at work here are meant to work against me. If that is the case, then the information that I am here to tell you does not actually exist. It was fabricated, as a distraction," he finished. The queen did frown at this. It made her look sinister.

"Why would I already know these partial truths?" she asked. Yukito gently set down his goblet and sighed.

"The Seers, Your Majesty. What convinced you to allow them to terrorize this city?" he asked. The queen shook her head slightly.

"Terror is the only way this city will forever be pure," she purred. She started tapping on her scepter with a long red fingernail. "Their mission was cut short, though… the reason being very displeasing. Meilin revealed to me that Clow Reed is alive. This is no surprise, of course, considering there was never any evidence of his death. But Meilin has reason to believe that he is biding his time… searching for someone to take his place. To fight back," she said this bitterly. "I was informed that it is very possible that spies have infiltrated this city. And because it sickens me to have such demons here… I ordered the Seers to stay in order to sniff out the disgusting fog of magic wafting over Tsui."

Yukito already had this knowledge and giggled inwardly, suddenly very excited. He loaded his mouth with a mixture of cheeses and berries, a smile on his face while the queen watched him. He wondered, for a brief moment, if he would benefit more from using his information against the Seers rather than telling the queen, but the thought quickly left his head. The Seers were never any fun.

"Queen Yelan, I cannot say for sure that Meilin lied to you, but that is what my instincts tell me," Yukito stated after he swallowed. The queen visibly stiffened.

"Are you accusing my niece of treason?" she demanded, her voice quiet. Yukito stared at her for a moment, enjoying the tension.

"I would never do such a thing, Your Grace… Meilin is probably the most dedicated servant you have," he pointed out. Queen Yelan narrowed her eyes at him. "But she wouldn't be human if she didn't try to use certain information to her advantage," he pointed out. Smiling fully at the queen, he let out a little chuckle.

"Do not play with me, Yukito," the queen said the words angrily, lifting her scepter to its full height and leaning it on the ground. "I endure enough already putting up with your _disgusting_ habits. But as long as you serve me, you will be pardoned. You know this. So _serve_ me and refrain from beating around the bush. Not even you could run from my armies," she threatened. Yukito's chuckle didn't waver, however. He simply laughed louder, throwing his head back in delight.

Yelan Li stood slowly, a glare set in her eyes. With two swift motions, she pounded her scepter against the marble floor, the sounds echoing throughout the dining hall. Twelve guards rushed through the gold trimmed double doors on each side of the room, immediately silencing Yukito. The twisted smile remained on his face.

"My Queen, please, take no offense… You know how much I adore you," he disrespectfully bowed in his seat.

"You will stand when you bow to me," she growled. With one motion of her hand, each guard had his pistol trained on the silver haired mage.

"Your Majesty…" Yukito giggled, swatting the air next to his ear, as if a gnat were bothering him. "My Queen…" He stared up at her, tears of laughter streaming down his face. "I beg of you." His voice dropped an octave. His silver eyes gleamed above his maniacal smile. The queen took an involuntary step back.

"There already is an heir."


	13. Chapter 13

_An old man sat basking in the sun, his weather beaten face fixed in a sigh of contentment. A good friend sat beside him, draped in deep purple robes. They watched the clouds above them float by, sharing a peaceful moment of timelessness. The robed man chuckled to himself, catching the other man's attention._

"_What is it, Clow?" he asked. Clow Reed smiled delightedly._

"_My son is having another child. It will be a girl… I can feel it," he grinned. The other man chuckled, too._

"_Wishful thinking. You've been stuck with rambunctious Touya for so long now, not even lady luck would give you a break," he teased. Clow grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye. _

"_It will be a girl. Nadeshiko will name her Sakura… and she will be the most powerful sorceress this world has seen in ages," he proclaimed. His friend stiffened._

"_Clow, you know what that would mean, don't you?" he asked, worry etched on his face. Clow sighed sadly and pulled at a pendant around his neck, the star shining in the sunlight. _

"_I know it isn't possible, Hashi, but I can feel it in my gut. It's her," he explained. Hashi nodded slowly._

"_When you announce her as your heir, whomever is ruler of the Li Kingdom will choose that moment to attack. To hell with the treaty," he pointed out. Clow nodded in agreement. _

"_That is the reason no one else can know. The people of this kingdom can't know how close I am to death… and neither can the Li Kingdom. Knowledge of Sakura must be kept in secrecy until the day she is prepared to take my throne." Clow held the pendant up to his eyes, studying the designs._

"_I'd wager the treaty ends before that happens…" Hashi mumbled. Clow chuckled in agreement._

"_Of course it will. It's a twenty year treaty… Sakura will only be seventeen when it ends. She won't be prepared to run a Kingdom for the length of time her sorcery will destine her to. Which is the reason I have a favor to ask of you…" Clow tucked the pendant back under his robes, turning to look his good friend in the eye._

"_Go on," Hashi said quietly. He gave Clow a knowing look._

"_I beg of you, Hashi… Infiltrate the Li Kingdom. Await Sakura's arrival. When the time comes for her to run, there will be nowhere else for her to go… and I know with powers as great as yours, she will be drawn to wherever you choose to settle. And Touya's so young now, he wouldn't remember your face," Clow pleaded with Hashi. _

"_I suppose…" Hashi grunted, clearing his throat. He glanced back up at the clouds. "I suppose it would be a great opportunity to continue on in the family business. Like my father always wanted me to," he reasoned. Clow smiled in response._

"_We both know how horrible you are at metalwork," he teased. Hashi winked at his dear friend._

"_But with a bit of help, I'm excellent."_

An incessant pounding woke Hashi from his dreams. The cool night air wafting in from his open window served to calm his nerves as he slowly came back to the land of the living. He heard the kids pound around in their room, preparing themselves for any possible danger. They were just the right amount of paranoid. He wondered if the little redheaded girl was sleeping through the whole ordeal, too emotionally drained to comprehend her current circumstances.

The pounding continued.

With an annoyed grunt, Hashi sat up in his bed. He knew he needed to be the one to answer the door, especially in the middle of the night. But he still felt groggy and back in his dream, his old friend's kind eyes filling his mind with loneliness.

Slowly, he stood from his bed, stretching tiredly. The pounding—knocking—would not stop. He slipped on a pair of sandals at his door and opened it slowly. Glancing out into the hallway, he saw Jiro, Akane, and Aria's heads peeking out their door, eyes wide with frowns on their faces. Hashi couldn't help but smile a bit as he noticed Akane's—no, _Sakura's_—resemblance to her late mother, Nadeshiko. Did she know how beautiful she was?

Hashi limped to the shop, not bothering to grab any sort of a weapon. He didn't stand a chance against a Seer in his old age, as he had learned the hard way. Not without magic, at least. He heard someone creeping after him and hoped it was Touya. Sakura, of all people, needed to stay out of sight. With a sigh, Hashi made it to the front door and opened it without hesitation.

The horrible pounding stopped.

Hashi straightened as he took in the sight before him. Glasses askew and hair unkempt, Eriol Hiiragizawa stood before him, gasping for air. His eyes were wide with fear. He looked terrified.

"Please, Hashi," he begged. The two had met several times before, never under the best of circumstances. "Please, let me in. I have horrible news." Hashi took a moment to look Eriol over again, a glare in his eyes. With a sigh of defeat, though, Hashi stood aside, inviting Eriol in. The young man rushed in and Hashi quickly closed the door behind him.

"Do you know if you were followed, Eriol?" Hashi demanded. Eriol searched the shop thoroughly with his eyes.

"I wasn't, I made sure of it. I need to speak to—" Eriol gasped and rushed toward Sakura, who had stepped out of her hiding place. Hashi shouted a warning. Before Eriol reached the sorceress, he was pinned against a wall by his neck as Touya seethed before him, squeezing.

"Please…" Eriol begged, clawing at Touya's hands.

"What the hell are you doing here? How did you find us?" Touya demanded. Eriol gasped, his eyes wide.

"Stop it!" Sakura yelled, attempting to pull Touya off the man. Touya stared at her, shocked.

"Why would I do that? Do you even realize who this is?" he yelled in return. Hashi sighed and made his way to the table, settling down in a chair. Sakura struggled to release Eriol.

"Please, Touya, I can explain. Just let him go!" With an annoyed grunt, Touya let go, sending Sakura flying to the ground. Eriol collapsed on the ground, struggling to fill his lungs with oxygen with his nearly crushed windpipe. Touya watched, a deadly glare in his eyes, as Sakura crawled over to Eriol and inspected his neck, knowing that there would be bruising.

"Touya, look at what you did—"

"It's all right, Sakura. I wouldn't expect any less from Touya-"

"What has happened?" Hashi grumbled, quieting both Sakura and Eriol. Touya was on edge, watching the newcomer closely. Sakura looked expectantly at Eriol.

"Look, our names—" Touya started, but Hashi cut him off.

"I already knew."

"Hashi's right. What made you come here? You know how dangerous it is for us—" Sakura was cut off as Eriol threw his arms around her, pulling her into a crushing hug. The room was silent for a few moments, shocked at the sudden display of affection. Then, with a growl, Touya grabbed Eriol by the back of his shirt and yanked him off of his sister.

"You _both_ need to explain yourselves," Touya seethed. He switched his glare between Eriol and Sakura. With a defeated sigh, Eriol hunched back against the wall, watching Sakura.

"I just met with the queen. I think you two need to leave Tsui," Eriol proclaimed. The room was filled with a few more moments of silence as Sakura stared openmouthed at Eriol.

"Because you told the queen about us?" Touya snarled. Sakura slapped his leg, still sitting on the ground.

"Touya, Eriol and I have already spoken. He has already made his peace. A guardian has chosen him," Sakura spoke. Touya's angry look was replaced with shock, then relief. He studied Eriol for a moment, whose head was down.

"Is this true?" Touya whispered, disbelieving.

"It is," something new had joined the party. With a gasp, everyone looked to the window by the front door, which was slightly ajar. A deep blue cat lounged on the sill, licking his paws. Hashi shot up from his chair, knocking it over, and limped over to the window. The cat quickly jumped down as Hashi slammed the window shut, looking out as far as he could see for unwanted eavesdroppers. The cat settled onto the table as Hashi limped back and picked up the chair, sitting next to the guardian.

"Go on, then," Hashi said, his voice ruff.

"His name is Spinel," Eriol whispered. He was still looking at the floor, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. After some deliberation, Touya sighed and slumped down on the floor next to Eriol and Sakura.

"I apologize for attacking you," Touya said glumly. Eriol chuckled.

"I anticipated it, knowing you would be here, old friend," he responded. Touya offered him a small smile. Sakura glanced between the two, wishing she could have seen them together when they truly were friends.

"Eriol, please," Hashi started gently. "It's dangerous for you to be here." Eriol nodded in response, taking a deep breath.

"Someone, and I suspect I know who, told the queen that Clow Reed has an heir," Eriol stated. Sakura didn't respond as Touya slammed his fist against the floor.

"Who? How could they know?" he demanded. Eriol smiled sadly at him.

"His name is a Yukito. He's a very trusted confidant to the queen. He has magic," Eriol explained. He looked to Sakura for a reaction, but she remained still. "He isn't aware that I know he has magic, but it is the only explanation for many of the things he has accomplished in the past." He looked back to Touya. "You guys need to leave. Meilin is in the city and she knows what both of you look like. When she finds out what the queen knows, she'll double her efforts to find Sakura."

"Why didn't Meilin tell the queen about me years ago?" Sakura glared at Eriol. "And if this Yukito knows I exist somehow through his magic, then why doesn't every mage hiding out in the capital know? You didn't even know I was here until Spinel brought us together," she pointed out. Touya frowned at Sakura, taking this new information in.

"She's brings up some good points," Hashi intervened gruffly. He was looking off into the distance. "Eriol, is it possible that this Yukito dabbles in the same forbidden arts that the Seers do?" he asked. Eriol nodded vigorously.

"He's that type of a person. And I'm sure it's the only reason the queen has pardoned his possession of magic. As you could probably guess from the existence of the Seers, the queen doesn't see anything wrong with using demons and spirits from after death," Eriol said. He gazed sadly at Sakura. "But do the specifics really matter at the moment? The moment the queen extends this knowledge to the Seers, Meilin will know how urgent it is for her to find you. Not on her own terms, but the queen's. She knows what both of you look like, Sakura and Touya. And all it will take is one person to ruin any sort of plans you have here," he said quietly. Sakura shook her head slowly.

"We can't leave, Eriol. We've worked too hard to come this far," she stated. Touya nodded in agreement.

"There has to be some way we can solve this. If we can take care of Meilin then all we have to worry about is not being found out, which is what we've been doing anyway," Touya offered. Sakura bit her lip.

"We can't kill her, that's for sure. It would guarantee any suspicion that I'm in the city and the first suspect would probably be Eriol. Maybe if we can figure out a way to get her and the Seers to leave the city…" she trailed off.

"Yukito told the queen that the heir is probably in the city. The queen trusts his word more than anyone else's, including her own son's. She won't allow the Seers to leave," Eriol rebutted. Sakura sighed.

"Well then why don't we erase her memory?" Hashi suggested softly. That silenced the room for a moment.

"Erase Meilin's memory? Is that even possible?" Eriol was aghast. Sakura nodded slowly and he looked questionably at her.

"Sakura herself has been having some issues concerning her memory," Hashi explained. He had begun petting Spinel slowly, taking comfort in his soft coat of fur. "And we've come to the conclusion that her own magic has caused it. If she can tap into that hidden power, she can erase Meilin's memory of her face and name, along with Touya's, and they will be safe." Eriol took Sakura's hand excitedly.

"Could you do such a thing? And you could stay here?" he inquired. Touya frowned at his reaction. Sakura shook her head.

"I've never messed with someone's memories before. At least, not on purpose," she explained. Eriol grinned.

"I've seen you do much more impressive things, Sakura," he said. Sakura blushed and looked down.

"How could it be done, though? She can see an aura, she would know if magic were being used on her—"

"We can figure something out," Touya interrupted. He was watching Eriol and Sakura's clasped hands closely. Eriol nodded and gently placed his other hand on her cheek.

"I even know where it could be done. That meadow, by the palace—"

"So close to the royal family?" Hashi asked, alarmed. Eriol nodded, confident.

"I've been practicing little bits of magic there over the course of my time here. Eventually my naivety caught up with me and I became curious as to why I had never been caught. Turns out that this tree standing in the middle of the meadow, a humongous oak, has been used as a conduit for magic several times in the past. Magic still lingers there and it's rare to find any of the citizens of Tsui around. No one wants to be in such close vicinity to the royal family," he explained. Sakura nodded in agreement.

"I think I remember feeling a bit of something like magic… and where we sat and talked, that place couldn't even be seen by the watchtowers," she added. Eriol smiled at her.

"Exactly."

Touya sighed. Just how friendly were these two with each other? "Okay, so we need to figure out a way to lure Meilin there as soon as possible." Sakura and Eriol nodded.

"But how am I going to figure out how to pick apart her memories?" Sakura muttered. The room sat silently for a few minutes, exploring the possibilities. Eventually, Spinel spoke up.

"There was a time when you did such a thing…" the cat mumbled, stretching tiredly. "Eriol brought Touya to you, unable to handle the prospect of healing Touya's mistakes," he said. Eriol frowned as Sakura and Touya stiffened.

"How do you know about that?" Touya growled. Spinel yawned.

"I have never been far from Eriol," he explained. Eriol gazed at his guardian, shocked.

"Truly?" he asked. Spinel simply watched Eriol with unblinking eyes for a minute before continuing.

"The way you pulled the intruders from your brother's mind is no different from pulling out memories. There is, however, a difference in the way the memories are expelled…" he spoke to Sakura. She flinched, the memory coming back to her.

"How would I expel the memories?" Sakura asked.

"You wouldn't. You would simply take what you need from the Seer and make it your own. Her feelings, thoughts, and actions at the time would become yours," Spinel explained. Sakura's face became overcome with worry.

"But with a personality like Meilin's disrupting my own, I would never be the same—"

"If Cerberus believes in your abilities, then so shall I," Spinel proclaimed, cutting Sakura off. He sounded strong and powerful, nothing like a small cat. Sakura flinched.

"That name again, Cerberus…" she mumbled. No one responded. Suddenly, Eriol pulled Sakura into another tight hug.

"We can do this, Sakura. _You_ can do this," he whispered in her ear. Sakura smiled slightly as she hugged him back, just as tightly. Touya glared down at them, ready to step in when something caught his eye.

"Aria." It was a single word, but it brought Sakura out of her reverie as she shot to her feet, bringing Eriol up with her. Tomoyo stood in the hallway, pressed against the wall with a frown etched deeply into her face.

* * *

Please review!


	14. Chapter 14

Eriol watched Sakura closely as she walked beside him. They kept to the shadows, a dirty coat and a cap concealing Eriol's appearance. The palace loomed above them, the golden ridges glinting in the moonlight. With a sigh, Eriol reached for Sakura's hand, hesitating for only a moment before taking it in his own. She gave a tiny gasp and glanced up at him, a blush creeping across her cheeks. Eriol couldn't help but grin.

"It was nice of Touya to let you walk me home," he said. Sakura snorted.

"You and I both know the only reason he's letting me go anywhere alone with you is so you can show me the meadow again," she countered. Eriol's grin widened.

"But perhaps it would have been better for you to stay behind and explain things to that girl. She's been with you all this time and you didn't even mention your title, your talents…" he trailed off as Sakura glared at him.

"I had the feeling it would be better for Touya to explain things. But maybe I should go back—" Sakura tried pulling her hand from Eriol's to turn around, but he quickly pulled her closer to his body, wrapping his other arm around her. Smiling down at her, Eriol shook his head.

"Eriol, why would the queen tell you?" Sakura asked, looking up at him. It amazed her how easily being around this man was at the moment, how she could lean into his touch and meet his gaze. It wasn't too long ago when she would have run the opposite direction upon seeing him.

"She didn't tell me," Eriol said softly, sighing. "She was telling her son. And I just happen to be the prince's right hand man." Sakura frowned at this.

"You're quite close with the royal family, aren't you?" Sakura mused. Eriol laughed.

"I wouldn't say that. Meilin hates me, the queen probably finds me to be something of a nuisance, and the prince simply puts up with me. All I really do for them are their chores," he explained. Sakura raised an eyebrow. "But enough about them," Eriol said quickly, pulling Sakura along. "To the meadow we go." Sakura sighed as she allowed Eriol to grasp her hand in his. She watched his face, lit up by the moonlight. His hair had grown since she last saw him, falling over his forehead and into his eyes. She could see the stubble extending from his hairline and along his cheek, surrounding his lips…

"You're looking rather rugged. Is this an acceptable appearance for someone of your social status?" Sakura inquired, grinning. Eriol glanced back at her and smiled back.

"I've been meaning to get cleaned up. Just haven't found the time, I guess," he said. Sakura kept staring at his face, her eyes travelling between his eyes and his lips, as they moved along. They held no more conversation until they reached the edge of the meadow, stopping at the crest of the hill. Sakura took a deep breath.

"You were right…" she said. "Now that I'm aware of it, there's definitely magic here." She looked around, searching the sprawling hills that separated this edge of the city from the palace. To her left, she caught sight of the oak tree. "Why hasn't anyone cut it down?" she asked. Eriol started making his way to the tree, Sakura close behind him.

"I don't think they _can_," he said. Sakura nodded, understanding. Years of filtering magic through an object could make that object impenetrable.

"And does the prince approve of you being here?" she joked. Eriol smirked.

"The prince isn't that bad of a guy, actually. He can be very kind when he wants to be," he admitted. Sakura frowned at him, something he caught out of the corner of his eye. "Compared to the queen, of course," he covered. Sakura rolled her eyes and watched the stars above them. Eventually, they made it to the large oak tree and sat beneath it, leaning against the trunk. Sakura made herself comfortable, leaning her head against Eriol's shoulder as he held her hands.

"I've been in love with you since they moment I saw you," he muttered. Sakura didn't react, simply looking up at him.

"I despised you. We only knew each other as enemies. We had only said a few words to each other… How could you love me?" she asked quietly. Eriol turned his head to look at her.

"I never considered you an enemy, Sakura. And I never despised you. The first time I laid eyes on you, you looked like a scared little rabbit… but you were still so strong. And you've endured so much. There isn't a reason I shouldn't love you," he responded. Sakura took this in quietly, watching him. His hands were still intertwined with her own as she leaned into him.

"Eriol, I think I feel it too… This connection between us that you mentioned once before. It's stronger than anything I've felt with any other mage," she said quietly. Eriol put his forehead against hers.

"You are my Queen, Sakura. I would do anything for you. I will help you do whatever it is you've come here for… I will help you hide from Meilin and defend your kingdom. I will help you win this war and free your people. I will do whatever it is in my power to do to keep you happy," he promised. Sakura gazed up at him, an unsure look in her eyes.

"Eriol, how do you connect with Spinel?" she asked, changing the subject. He sighed, not moving.

"I let him enter my mind, of course," he explained. Sakura huffed.

"And how do you do that without me getting in?" she asked. Eriol smiled.

"What do you mean? Can you not connect with specific people?" he asked.

"Do you have any idea how difficult that sounds? I've never even tried. Even Hashi can't do it," she complained. Eriol looked surprised.

"What?" he was confused.

"How did you learn?" Sakura demanded.

"I didn't… I never learned how to do it. I've just always done it. It's how Spinel was with me when I was young and it's how I survived being with the Seers," he explained. Sakura bit her lip.

"Could you teach me?" she begged. Eriol smiled down at her.

"Me, teach the heiress?" he inquired, chuckling. Sakura pushed him playfully.

"I don't know why something like mind powers comes so easily to you, but I need this!" she said. Eriol leaned in a bit closer to her.

"On one condition," he responded. Sakura blushed slightly.

"What would that be?" she asked.

"I get to kiss you whenever I like," he answered. Sakura's blush deepened. Eriol's eyes were confident, the grin on his face growing wider. With a sigh, Sakura opened her mouth to answer and Eriol swooped in, capturing her lips with his. She didn't pull away as he deepened the kiss, cupping her face with one of his hands. After a few moments, he let her go, leaving Sakura breathless.

"I think I could live with that," she responded.

* * *

Tomoyo and Touya sat at the table in the shop, looking down. Hashi had returned to bed after checking on the little girl, who was still fast asleep on Tomoyo's cot. Tomoyo was clenching her fists, waiting for Touya to begin.

"My name is Touya Kinomoto," he started. She glanced up at him. "My sister is Sakura Kinomoto. We are the children of Fujitaka and Nadeshiko Kinomoto." Tomoyo stared at him.

"Kinomoto?" she muttered. Touya nodded slowly.

"Fujitaka Kinomoto… As in Clow Reed's son?" she inquired. Touya nodded slowly again.

"I suppose you would know, your mother being friends with Nadeshiko and all," he said. Tomoyo glared at him.

"Why would you keep this from me?" she demanded. Touya frowned at her.

"One more person knowing we're related to the king means we're one step closer to being discovered as royalty," Touya explained. Tomoyo shook her head.

"That's not the way the Reed Kingdom works! Kings and Queens are chosen from a pool of possible successors… Not just family!" she fought.

"But this time it _was_ family," Touya said harshly. He glared at Tomoyo. "Sakura is Clow Reed's heir. Do you not understand how sensitive that information is?" he demanded. He leaned back and crossed his arms. "Especially since the Li Kingdom is after you. For a reason we don't even know yet! Sakura may say it has something to do with Clow's book, but that doesn't even make any sense. No one knew he had an heir until now, so what would they need it for? They don't practice magic. And why the hell would _you_ have it? Have you ever even met Clow?" Touya was practically growling as Tomoyo fought not to cower under his gaze.

"I don't know why they're after me! And I don't know anything about this book! I even asked Sakura about it and she couldn't even give me a straight answer," Tomoyo argued. Touya stayed silent and continued to glare at her. "Is there anything else I should know?" she asked.

"Sakura is a sorcerer," he responded. Tomoyo sighed and glared back at him.

"Well, I figured that out," she bit out.

"She's the most powerful sorcerer in history," Touya revised. Tomoyo's eyes widened as she gaped at the man.

"Excuse me?"

"More powerful than even Clow," he added. And before Tomoyo could respond, "and I have some abilities, too. Many of the same ones most Seers have, actually." He left out the part about actually _being_ a Seer at one point in time. The past was the past, she didn't need to know. But he watched her take this information in, her expression going from shocked to disbelieving to fearful.

"Why would Sakura decide to take me in?" Tomoyo mumbled, shifting her eyes to the table. She clenched her jaw as her mind worked.

"If I had to guess, I would say it has something to do with this guardian you've mentioned before. Not the one with Eriol, but the other one you had with you when we met…" Touya trailed off, thinking. He leaned his elbows on the table as he watched Tomoyo. "We've all come to the conclusion that Sakura's magic has blocked this guardian from her memory, though. It's been lying dormant for long enough now that there's no telling how it could react…" Sighing, Touya took one of Tomoyo's clenched fists and tilted her chin up to look at him. He leaned in closer to look her in the eye.

"Tomoyo, will you keep our secret?"

* * *

Yukito Tsukishiro, a tall and handsome man, laid back with a sigh of content. The stars twinkled above him as he munched on a vine of grapes, taken from the palace kitchens on his way home. He grinned at the moon as a soft breeze tugged at his silver hair.

"Oh wish I may, oh wish I might… Come across a shooting star tonight?" Yukito's grin widened as a flash of light swept across his vision. "May I see my heiress choose the right?" He laughed as a violent breeze twirled about him, nearly removing the glasses from his face.

"_Is there anything I can do for you, Yue-sama?" _a voice whispered in his ear. Yukito threw the empty grape vine away.

"Perhaps you should visit Syaoran's dreams tonight…"


	15. Chapter 15

Prince Syaoran Li awoke with a scream of terror, his body lashing about in dangerous spasms. His chocolate colored hair was glued to his forehead by a layer of sweat and his dark brown eyes were fearful and unfocused as they flew open, taking in the faint light of the rising sun. His comforter was clenched in his fists as he grit his teeth, fighting to regain control of himself. As he started forcing several deep breaths in through his nose, the door to his chambers flew open. Eriol stalked into the room with a determined look on his face.

"Prince, what has happened?" Eriol asked unnecessarily. This wasn't a first time occurrence, there was no need to be alarmed. Syaoran stared at Eriol desperately as he continued breathing deeply, his jaw shaking from the effort he put into keeping his mouth shut. "Your Highness, perhaps we should visit the grove this morning," Eriol suggested. Syaoran slowly unclenched his jaw and swung his legs over the edge of his bed, bracing himself before slowly rising to his feet. Running a hand through his hair, he glared at his right hand man, who looked calmly back at him.

"There's no need," he growled lowly, wiping a sweaty palm on his pants. "It was only a nightmare. I've seen many horrors, it is understandable that I am haunted by them as I work to be the king my people can admire and respect in the future. They can't do that with an emotionless robot," Syaoran excused himself. Eriol frowned slightly and took a moment to give the prince a knowing look before nodding slowly.

"As you wish," he answered. Eriol turned on his heel and approached the bathroom adjacent to the bedchamber, much larger than his own. He started a bath for the prince and immediately followed up with laying a set of clothes on the bed for the prince. "You had better prepare yourself for the day, then. You won't be going back to sleep." The prince made his way slowly to his bath.

"Seems like the same situation you're in," Syaoran said tiredly as he disappeared into the room, referring to Eriol's made up appearance. Eriol stiffened for only a moment before relaxing. He had finished preparing himself for the day only moments before he was alerted of the prince's screams.

Within the next hour, Syaoran and Eriol were walking slowly through the palace grounds, passing servants and soldiers as they went about their duties. Syaoran was deep in thought, glaring at anyone who dared to watch him too closely. Eriol was rubbing the tiredness out of his eyes.

"Would you like to talk about it, Your Highness?" Eriol asked. He was sure to remain formal. Syaoran shook his head.

"It was the same as it always has been," he mumbled. Eriol nodded. Two soldiers out of uniform dashed passed them. "Halt!" Syaoran stopped the soldiers. Eren and Yamazaki stopped before Eriol and the prince and bowed respectfully.

"My liege," Yamazaki said mockingly, a grin on his face. Eren laughed loudly.

"Where are you two off to?" Syaoran frowned.

"It's our day off," Yamazaki announced, his grin widening. "We may or may not be chasing a couple of damsels in town…" he trailed off as Eren's laughing increased in volume.

"Damsels?" Eriol raised an eyebrow at Yamazaki. "Whatever happened to that serving girl? What was her name… Chiharu?" he asked. Yamazaki immediately stiffened as Syaoran gave him a dark look. Eren looked up thoughtfully.

"You're right, Eriol. Whatever happened to that girl? Yamazaki was always quite smitten with her…" Yamazaki quickly smacked Eren upside the head.

"Chiharu was only a passing fancy. Nothing at all serious," he told them all, looking only at Prince Syaoran. Syaoran smirked slightly as Yamazaki frowned, his gaze shifting to the ground. "We should be going," Yamazaki said sharply. He bowed to Syaoran and grabbed Eren by his wrist, tugging him along. Eriol frowned after them.

"What was that about? Yamazaki's attitude completely changed," he said. He looked at Syaoran from the corner of his eye, dwelling on the possibilities.

"Who knows?" Syaoran muttered as he started moving along. Eriol stayed behind a moment, studying Syaoran's and the soldiers' retreating backs.

"Could it be?" he asked himself quietly before moving on. He only made it a few feet before someone else caught his eye, strutting purposefully across the grounds. "Prince," Eriol called loudly. Both Syaoran and the figure who caught Eriol's eye stopped, looking at him. Syaoran frowned deeply as he turned to the figure.

"Meilin," he stated simply. The beautiful woman smiled delightedly, rushing towards him.

"My Syao! How have you been?" she asked with a smile on her face, pouncing on the prince and looping her arm through his. Syaoran's frown deepened, his forehead creasing with wrinkles.

"Do not call me that. I am Prince Li," he said. Meilin giggled.

"Oh, no one calls you Li anymore," she teased.

"And I blame you and Eriol for that," he growled. He shoved Meilin off of himself. "What are you doing on the palace grounds? And in uniform?" he asked, referring to her robes. Meilin grinned.

"Queen Yelan wanted to see me! Can you believe it? Auntie requested me personally…" she sighed, clasping her hands together. "I wonder what she needs!" Eriol raised an eyebrow, a plan beginning to formulate in his mind.

"You mean, you haven't spoken to her yet?" Syaoran glared at her, knowing what her meeting would be about and remembering what he now knew about her.

"What do you mean _yet_?" Meilin asked, confused. Eriol stepped in.

"At what time are you meant to meet her?" he asked, a small smile on his face. Meilin glared at him and gripped Syaoran's arm again.

"Not that it's any of _your_ business, but I'm to meet her at sunset. I didn't want to be late," she harrumphed, sticking her nose up at her former Seer. Syaoran pushed Meilin away again.

"Because being _late_ is going to be your biggest problem," he grumbled. Meilin gave him a confused look, not quite understanding what he was saying. Eriol couldn't help but let a small chuckle out.

"Your Highness, you're going to have to entertain yourself for the day," Eriol announced, grabbing Meilin's hand. "I'm sure you can figure something out." Meilin tried to pull away as Eriol started walking.

"What do you think you're doing, Hiiragizawa? You haven't been dismissed! Your duty today is to be my escort!" Syaoran yelled after Eriol, fuming. Eriol ignored him, though, a determined look overcoming his face.

"Yeah, what the hell are you doing, Hiiragizawa?" Meilin demanded. Eriol put on a bright fake smile as he turned to face Meilin, still walking.

"Syaoran's birthday is coming up, isn't it? We should be getting him a gift! Any gift for a prince requires plenty of planning…" Meilin suddenly became very willing, squealing about her prince's birthday and everything she could do for him now that she was in town.

Syaoran glared angrily after Eriol and Meilin, knowing he would never punish either one of them. He sighed as he surveyed the scene around him, noting how the servants and soldiers in the area would purposefully slow down as they passed him. With a growl, Syaoran stormed away, headed to a place that had become his sanctuary and, somehow, also his hell. After several minutes of speed walking, Syaoran found himself in the middle of a green grove, surrounded by tall trees and the wall surrounding the palace grounds. He knew that on the other side of the wall lay a meadow filled with tall grass and flowers, an old oak tree towering over it all. It comforted the prince to know how alone he was here.

With a deep breath, Syaoran slowly lowered himself into a solid stance, pulling the sword at his hip out of its sheath. He started slowly, going through the motions of his daily routines, sliding the sword through the air as if slicing soft butter. As time passed by and the sun moved slowly overhead, the prince's motions quickened, precise and agile. He breathed heavily through his nose as he thought back to what might have been simpler times.

"_This is Meilin Li. She's your second cousin. She will also be your wife," Yelan Li stood next to a young Syaoran, who came up to just below her hip. His big brown eyes glared heatedly at the little girl before him, blushing prettily._

"_What? I don't need to marry anyone!" he complained. The queen frowned at her son, displeased._

"_You will do as I say," she said simply. Syaoran looked down quickly, ashamed, and nodded his head. Meilin approached Syaoran shyly._

"_I'll be a good wife to you… Okay, Syao?" she smiled. Syaoran grumbled._

"_My name isn't Syao!"_

Syaoran let out an angry breath as he continued through the motions. The earliest decision he could remember being made for him was her. Seeing Meilin and being told that she would be his wife. That the family bloodline would remain pure. Because it was with purity that magic could never enter the Li family.

"_Again," an old man ordered. He had scars about his face and muscular arms crossed over his broad chest. Syaoran, a small boy at the time, breathed heavily as sweat ran down his face. He was blinded as he forced his body into an aerial, landing in a perfect stance and following up with a series of powerful kicks and punches. As he ended the set, Syaoran forced himself to stay upright._

"_Again," the man ordered without hesitation. Syaoran growled, wiping the sweat from his eyes._

"_I've done this set a hundred times! Teach me the next one!" he demanded. The old man glared heatedly at the boy, uncrossing his arms._

"_You will not move on until each motion in the previous set is absolutely perfect. Perfection happens whether you're fully energized or at death's door. And this kingdom does not need an imperfect king. Again," he ordered. Syaoran huffed, glaring at his master for a minute, challenging him. The old man did not move. Angrily, Syaoran quickly jumped into another aerial and beat out a mess of kicks and punches._

"_No!" the man yelled. "Again!" Syaoran tumbled through the set again, nearly losing his balance. He performed the movements at least three more times before he fell to his knees, trying and nearly failing to catch his breath._

"_What do you think you're doing?" the old man demanded as he marched up to the boy. Syaoran didn't move as his master stopped before him, seething. "When I tell you to perform a set, you will do so." _

_Syaoran shook his head slowly, planting a palm firmly on the ground to keep himself on his knees. He felt the backside of his master's hand send a volley of painful bursts through his head as his vision blinked in and out of focus._

"_Again!"_

Syaoran could still feel his master's orders coursing through him as he swiped through a deadly fast set of ducks and weaves. He was breathing heavily as his movements became more powerful, fueled by his emotions.

"_Syaoran Li…" a sickly, middle aged man glared at his son from his death bed. His eyes were permanently set in a glare. Syaoran stood rigidly beside him. "What sort of fool decided you would be my heir?" the late king mumbled. Syaoran's face held no emotion. "Which of the gods…" he coughed violently. "Thought to punish me with your disgrace?"_

Syaoran swiped powerfully at a tree, a cry of anger escaping his throat as he chopped through the old wood. There was a time when he had accepted everything his life had given him. When he was okay with where he stood. But at some point, a line was drawn, and it was a line that had been crossed long ago. If only it weren't for that _dream…_

_Syaoran stood in front of a five year old Meilin. She was dressed in a pretty white dress, her hair decorated with flowers. She was smiling brightly as tears started to stream down her face._

"_I'm so glad I can fully serve my kingdom now…" her voice dropped off as Syaoran turned to his right, facing what would have been the priest. But his father stood before him, healthy and angry beyond belief._

"_You're not my son! You're a curse! Not even your mother will deal with your sins anymore…" the king's voice, too, trailed off as Syaoran turned to his right again, his body shaking with anger._

"_What kind of king would you be… If everyone knew?" Eriol Hiiragizawa laughed delightedly before Syaoran, his glasses glinting in the light of some unknown source. "Even I could be king in your position!" he announced, suddenly adorned in a large golden crown and magnificent robes. Syaoran grit his teeth and clenched his fists as he moved to attack Eriol, but was met with thin air. Instead, standing before him now was his mother._

"_Your father is gone. His last wishes were not met…" she looked sadly off to the side. "I suppose you will continue to be his heir until we can figure something else out." Syaoran angrily lashed out at the image of his mother. It disappeared as he was forced to turn to his right again. Nothingness faced him as he began to fall. A scream escaped his lungs as he desperately tried to find something to grab on to. Nothing but blackness lay below him, but the chorus of voices convinced him otherwise. _

_Without warning, he was dropped right back where he began. He was breathing heavily as he collapsed to his knees, his body still wracked with screams. _

"_I do." A voice cut through Syaoran's cries of anger and anguish. His head shot up and he caught sight of Meilin, fully grown. Her hair was still decorated with flowers and she was smiling adoringly at him. But her Seer robes scarred her beautiful appearance, angering him even more._

"_Why would you betray me?" he screamed at her. She stepped back, shocked._

"_I would never betray you. How could I betray you? How did I betray you?"_

Syaoran lashed out angrily with a cry. He had lied earlier. It wasn't always the same dream. But they always held the same messages. Thoughts and feelings that he thought he could bury always found their way back up to the surface. He couldn't keep them away.

With another cry of anger, Syaoran threw his sword across the grove, embedding it in a tree. Continuing on through his set, Syaoran huffed as he put every bit of force he could into each motion. He tried to drain his emotions of their power, but couldn't succeed. With another cry of emotional distress, Syaoran swung toward the wall, a series of attacks bringing him closer to the stone until his fist connected with the rock, a burst of fire escaping and climbing up the wall in a fiery chase. Syaoran breathed heavily as he dropped his fist, a sooty print left behind. Straightening up, Syaoran wiped the mark away with his sleeve.

"What sort of fool decided I would be the heir?"


	16. Chapter 16

Eriol quickly pulled Meilin behind a shop located just a few yards away from his sacred meadow. Swiftly and violently, he hit her on the back of the head, knocking her out. He glanced around quickly, nervously.

"I will retrieve her," Spinel announced from the roof of the building. Eriol looked up and nodded in acknowledgment as Spinel leapt away. With a grunt, Eriol tugged Meilin's robe off of her, revealing her simple shirt and pants. He turned the robe inside out and draped it over her like a blanket, picking her up bridal style. Then, cautiously, he stepped out into the open.

"Oh my! Is she all right?" a frail old lady immediately hurried up to them, an accusing look in her eyes. Eriol gave her a charming grin.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure." The woman relaxed slightly at his charming voice. "She just fainted as we were walking along… And I pulled her back here to see if the shade would do her some good. But we both work at the palace, so if I head back there she should be immediately treated," he explained seriously. The old lady nodded understandingly, backing away slowly at the mention of the palace.

"Well, be sure you take care of her…" she turned on her heel and walked quickly away. Eriol waited for a moment before rushing off to the meadow, making his way to the oak tree. He was already exhausted from Meilin dragging him all over the city before he convinced her to come to this sparse part of town. But he stayed on edge as he dropped the woman at the foot of the oak and stood up straight, breathing deeply. He turned quickly as he caught something light up the top of the palace wall, but sighed as he decided it was simply a trick of the light.

"And now we wait…"

* * *

Touya jumped, his tools clattering to the ground as he caught sight of the cat. Tomoyo gave a shout of worry and rushed into the shop, grasping a needle and her unfinished work in her hands.

"Are you all right?" she asked, eyes wide.

"Fine," Touya growled, glaring at the cat. "Would you shut the door?" he asked loudly, turning to glance at Tomoyo. She nodded and put down her work, moving to the front door and closing it. "Now," Touya sighed. "What is it?" He was talking to the cat. Tomoyo looked at the man strangely as she approached them.

"Excuse me?" she asked. The cat paused from licking its paws.

"It is a great pleasure to see you so well, Tomoyo," Spinel greeted.

"Oh, Spinel!" she exclaimed, dashing over to him for a hug.

"Sakura needs to go to the meadow immediately. Meilin and Eriol are there," Spinel notified, struggling as Tomoyo squished him.

"Sakura?" Touya frowned. "She just left…" He jumped out of his seat and rushed to the front door, yanking it open again. Looking out to his right and left, she called her name.

"Akane!" He stepped out the door as he caught sight of her, walking with Yamazaki and Eren. Tomoyo followed Touya out the door, a frown on her face. Sakura stopped and turned around, confusion written on her face.

"Jiro?!" she called back. As Touya waved her over, Sakura began to make her way back. Yamazaki and Eren started to follow her, but as Touya shook his head Sakura stopped them. She jogged over to her brother and Tomoyo, the question evident on her face.

"You need to go to the meadow," Touya said with urgency. Spinel was suddenly weaving himself through Sakura's legs, looking up at her. "Eriol and Meilin are there right now." Sakura gasped.

"What? We haven't even come up with a solid plan yet. What the hell is he doing just throwing this at us?" she sounded frustrated as she glanced back at the two young soldiers. "This is the first chance I've gotten to talk to Yamazaki about… _you know_." Sakura sighed in frustration.

"You did it at a moment's notice with me," Touya grumbled. He scratched the back of his head, glancing at Tomoyo. "I won't let you go alone, though. Tomoyo, could you watch the shop until Hashi wakes up?" Touya asked. Tomoyo nodded, purposefully avoiding the gazes of the confused soldiers behind them.

"We should probably get rid of _them_ first," Tomoyo pointed at the soldiers, turning on her heel and heading back inside. Sakura glared at the back of her head. Before she could say anything, though, Touya grabbed her arm and led her back to Yamazaki and Eren.

"I'm sorry, boys," Touya said when they reached the soldiers. Sakura smiled apologetically. "Looks like an emergency has come up. Sakura can't play today." Sakura's smile turned into a glare at her brother.

"Emergency?" Yamazaki looked genuinely concerned. "Is it anything we can do to help?" he asked. Sakura's smile was back as she shook her head.

"I really appreciate it, but I'm afraid not. You should come back on your next day off, though. I'll definitely make time for you then," she promised. Yamazaki blushed a bit as he grinned. Eren looked rather bored.

"Sure thing."

* * *

Eriol leaped up as he heard Sakura's shout. He glanced worriedly at Meilin, who had been moaning and moving about in her unconscious state. As Sakura ran up to him, Eriol took her in his arms and held her close, ignoring Touya's angry glare.

"What were you thinking?" Sakura complained as she pulled away, frowning at him. Eriol frowned back.

"Meilin is meant to meet with the queen tonight. It's a miracle it hasn't happened already. But the moment Meilin knows what the queen knows, she'll spill everything. There's no way she has enough of a backbone to stand up to the queen," Eriol explained. Touya huffed.

"Do you know why Meilin was keeping the heir and her identity a secret, anyway?" he asked. Eriol shook his head and looked down at Meilin.

"No, but we should start. Meilin could be waking up any minute now… I have to say, though, I'm very impressed with myself. This woman is a martial arts master and I took her out in one hit," he bragged, grinning. Sakura laughed as Touya sighed. Soon enough, though, the easy air depleted and Sakura squirmed uncomfortably next to Touya and Eriol.

"So… um… yeah," Sakura said as she slowly kneeled by Meilin. She bit her lip as she observed the beautiful woman's face, peaceful and not nearly as terrifying as it was when she was awake. As she took Meilin's head into her lap, Eriol and Touya sat beside her.

"So how does this work?" Touya muttered, frowning at his former superior. He had, admittedly, got along very well with Meilin. That is, until Eriol befriended him also.

Sakura didn't respond as she placed her hands on either side of Meilin's head. The Seer squirmed, causing them all to jump in alarm, but she stopped just as quickly as she started. Sakura took a deep calming breath as she closed her eyes. She continued her deep breathing exercises as her body tensed up, preparing to lift the walls that surrounded it. She could do this. She just had to remember what she did for Touya.

Sakura hesitated and nothing happened.

Eriol and Touya gave each other an odd look before gazing reproachfully at the young sorceress.

"Ah, Sakura dear, is there a problem?" Eriol whispered rather loudly. Sakura flinched.

"Well, you see…" she chewed the inside of her cheek. "Something is missing." Touya smacked his forehead in exasperation.

"What do you mean something is missing? What is it?" he demanded. "We're running out of time here." Sakura sighed as she glanced around. They were next to the only tree in the meadow, shielded by tall grass and flowers.

"I got it," Eriol announced as he stood slowly. He stretched out for a moment, taking his time. Touya glared at him.

"We're waiting," he growled. Eriol chuckled as he clapped his hands together and with a faint glimmer, a clear, magical sphere shot up and out, surrounding the group and the old oak. Touya squinted his trained eyes at the bubble.

"Protection? Are you sure no one could sense one this large?" he asked. Eriol shook his head.

"I've been practicing here ever since I saw Sakura do it for you," he responded as he sat back down. Sakura was smiling at him, a look of admiration on her face.

"Well aren't you the hard worker," she said proudly. Eriol winked at her. Touya cleared his throat with a growl, though, insisting they move on.

"Try again," he bit out. Sakura loosened up her shoulders and obliged. With her hands on either side of Meilin's head, she took several deep and controlled breaths. She closed her eyes slowly as the bars slipped off her mind, exposing her to raw nature. She flinched slightly, but continued focusing. She couldn't break Meilin's mind, though. She tried to sneak in, jab through, and consume but Meilin's mind was locked.

Sakura huffed in frustration, ready to give up again, when she felt a pair of hands on her own. And just like that, she flashed back to the night with Touya and Eriol, when Eriol was the only thing keeping her grounded. And the gates to Meilin's mind snapped open, so suddenly that Sakura almost lost herself. She was flooded with emotion and memories, a jumbled symphony. And as Sakura attempted to regain control, she slipped.

_Sakura gasped as she quickly turned around, trying to make sense of her surroundings. Everything was unusually large. As she made a complete circle, she froze as she stared at the sight before her. A woman so terrifyingly cold and beautiful, Sakura's blood seemed to slow considerably as it pumped through her body. As she dipped her chin to avoid the woman's sharp gaze, she found a handsome young boy, probably no more than 5 or 6, glaring venomously at her. But, for whatever reason, all she could feel was awe and adoration for the boy. _

"_I'm so glad I can finally serve my kingdom now…" Sakura felt her lips move, but the voice wasn't hers. The boy noticeably flinched as he turned to look up at the woman._

"_I don't need to marry anyone!" the boy seemed to argue. Had the woman just said something to him?_

"_I'll be a good wife to you… Okay, Syao?" Sakura felt herself speak with a stranger's voice again. She could feel the deep love behind the words, wanting with every fiber of her being to make those words true._

Sakura was pulled from the memory and straight into a new one. She could see a thin strand connecting the two memories, one forever associated with the other.

_Sakura sat on the ground, her trembling hands pulled into fists. Thin leaves and branches crossed through her vision, but not enough to block her view of the boy in front of her. He was young, probably working through his preteen years, and he was covered in a thick layer of sweat. He was breathing heavily as he screamed wildly, jets of fire emanating from his fists. Sakura tried to move from her position, but was frozen in place. She wasn't in control of this body. With a cry of rage, the boy threw a ball of fire, lighting the tree to Sakura's right. She tried to flinch but the body remained unmoving._

"_I'll protect you, Syaoran…" she felt herself whisper. This stranger's voice was both gentle and powerful. "I'll be a good wife to you…"_

Sakura gasped as she was immediately wrenched from one memory to another, experiencing both laughter and tears. The world seemed to be moving too quickly and her mind fought to keep up, but the internal battle was completely one-sided. Sakura was slowly losing whatever grip that kept her grounded.

"_What the hell were you thinking?" a man yelled at her. Sakura gasped and stumbled away from him, clutching her chest. She couldn't tell if she was controlling her actions, but the emotions flooding through her probably weren't her own. The man before her seemed impossibly handsome, with a strong jawline and long, dark brown hair. His tanned skin was rippling with muscles and she very consciously noted the golden flecks in his amber eyes. "A Seer, Meilin?" he yelled at her. Sakura tried to shake her head, but she remained still. His deep, strong voice sent shivers down her spine. _

"_If there's anything I can do for this kingdom, Syaoran, it's this!" Sakura felt passionate, fully believing every word out of her mouth. "If there's anything I can do for _you_, it's this."_

Sakura was yanked from Meilin's mind for a moment, feeling a pair of hands tighten their grip on her own. As she reentered the Seer's mind, she slowly drifted, keeping away from unwanted emotions. She was here for a reason and she focused on it, engulfing Meilin's mind with her own. Sakura remembered the first moment Meilin discovered who she was and reached for it.

"_My sister." Sakura heard Touya's voice. It filled her with dread as she opened her eyes and saw him standing before her, anger evident on his face._

"_We need a new recruit," Sakura found herself saying. "We need you."_

"_The heir!" Sakura heard Eriol's panicked voice and her, Meilin's, eyes immediately found the younger version of herself. _

Sakura tore the memory from Meilin and made it her own. It was jarring, a barrage of conflicting emotions roaring through her mind. But she found a thin line and grasped onto it. She could instinctively see that it went both backward and forward, and she traveled further into the past.

"_Okay, Eriol, send the bird to him…"_

The memory was now Sakura's.

"_Clow Reed isn't stupid! There has to be someone!" Sakura heard herself yell. She was angry, hurt, and vulnerable. _

Sakura took the memory from Meilin.

"_What is the name of the family who visits Clow Reed every month?" Sakura's lips moved. In her clenched fist she beheld an old, terrified woman._

The rich smells of a small bakery filled Sakura's mind as she remembered this woman. This memory was now hers.

"_Touya! Concentrate! You'll never beat them at this rate!" _

Was it just Sakura, or were these memories seeming out of order? It didn't matter at the moment as she took them all as her own, stripping down Meilin's identity. Sakura left as much as she could behind, so Meilin wouldn't become suspicious in the future, but it seemed as if the woman had been obsessed with Sakura for at least the past two years. Memory after memory became the sorceress'. There was too much. There was no way Meilin would be able to function when Sakura was done with her.

_Sakura breathed deeply, pushing herself up against a cement wall. Her heart was pounding and there was an abnormally large lump in her throat. She refused to swallow it, though, as she glanced around a corner. The sight of a tall, silver haired man sent a shot of rage through her. Sakura could see him grinning at that woman, the beautifully cold one who had been with the little boy._

"_You must keep this to yourself, Yukito…" Sakura could barely make out the woman's voice. What is this? What does this have to do with her and Clow Reed?_

"_You majesty, I could never imagine betraying your trust…" The sound of Meilin's pounding heart filled Sakura's ears. Her palms were sweaty and her spine was starting to ache from the angle she was standing in._

"_If a _magician_ is going to contaminate the royal line, I would much prefer it to be you. At least you're worthy…" Sakura felt her jaw clench tightly. "That boy doesn't even realize what gifts he has. Once the Reed Kingdom is mine, making you my heir will be incredibly easy. Your loyalty and genius will be welcomed here… and your powerful magic will be welcomed there. And I can trust that you'll keep the Li's traditions strong… You should marry one of the King's bastard daughters…" Sakura was breathing so heavily she was sure she'd be heard. But she was feeling such heartbreak and such a dire need to protect someone that being caught was the least of her worries at the moment. _

This must be her drive. Sakura could feel it. Meilin's emotions swelled so volatilely, there was no way it could be anything else.

"_What if Clow Reed has an heir, your majesty? His citizens would never accept me, knowing he had already chosen his successor…"_

"_That disgusting sorcerer is ancient. If he hasn't announced his heir yet, he hasn't found one. Just allow me to manipulate…" _

Sakura left this memory behind. If Meilin lost her drive, the one thing that had been consuming her for so long, she would never be the same. As Sakura pulled out of Meilin's mind, she started to become conscious of the hands gripping her own. She yanked her hands from Meilin's head and felt the Seer being moved away. The hands still gripped hers, however, as her job wasn't finished yet.

With a deep breath, Sakura sorted through the jumble of memories and emotions. She didn't want them. They weren't _hers_. And it made Meilin seem too human. How could she fight someone she could sympathize with? She found the memory of coming to Hashi's door, a memory she already had from a different perspective. She buried it in the back of her mind. She saw Touya betraying her again, this time feeling Meilin's pleasure from it. Gone it was to the deepest confines of her psyche. Again and again, she sorted through Meilin's memories and buried them, desperate to forget the feelings of love, joy, hatred, and pain that Meilin seemed to feel so often.

In another world, another dimension, perhaps they could have been close friends.

Sakura gasped painfully as her eyes snapped open. Eriol's eyes were the first things she saw as she came to, feeling sweat dripping down her neck and cheeks. He looked horribly concerned.

"Meilin started to wake up the moment you left her mind. Touya is dropping her off somewhere she could hopefully explain the situation to herself…" Eriol's voice faded away as Sakura left his gaze and looked around herself, still in the meadow. She felt tired. That seemed to be the only word to describe it. She wanted nothing more than to sleep at that moment. As she looked to the sky, her eyes widened.

"The sun is setting!" she gasped. Eriol glanced up at the sky and nodded, his eyes returning to her own.

"Spinel took care of us. He made sure we weren't missed," he responded. Sakura nodded slowly, looking at their hands clasped together. Then, for whatever reason, tears started to well up in her eyes. They slowly built up until she was sobbing, clutching Eriol's shirt for support. He held her close as he stroked her hair gently, keeping her grounded. And they remained that way, well into the night.


	17. Chapter 17

Sakura sighed as she watched the little girl's sleeping form. She rubbed her eyes as she remembered that Rika was her name. Tomoyo had discovered it at some point… Sakura had no idea how. She had been so vacant lately, focusing only on her own problems, that she didn't really know what was going on around her. Touya seemed to be slowly taking over the shop for Hashi. Tomoyo spent a lot of time with her brother, but never spoke to Sakura herself. It irked her, to know that Tomoyo had forgiven Touya and not her, but it wasn't as if she had made any attempt at a conversation, either.

Today would be Sakura's first day without Eriol since she had taken Meilin's memories. The instance was buried so far back in her mind that she wasn't having any problems handling all of the memories, but Eriol had become such an integral part of her daily routine that she no longer knew what to do with herself. Should she try to befriend the little girl, as Tomoyo had? Should she try speaking to Tomoyo? Doing anything with Touya was probably out of the question. Tomoyo and Touya had become attached at the hip, always working together in the shop. Tomoyo was able to bring her sewing home and watch Touya pound away at his metals, making easy conversation that Sakura couldn't remember ever having achieved with her brother.

Sakura's fists clenched as she remembered how even Spinel had taken to spending his days with Touya and Tomoyo when Eriol was with her. She wondered briefly how she would be interacting with those around her if Eriol wasn't in the picture, but quickly decided that her relationship with Eriol didn't affect her relationships with anyone else.

She would be alone without Eriol.

Sakura slowly lowered her head into her hands as she began her deep breathing exercises, something she had gotten into the habit of doing in the month since her encounter with Meilin. Eriol had assured her that nothing at the palace seemed out of the ordinary, but it didn't seem to help her anxiety. Perhaps she should have taken Eriol's initial advice and left the city. She could have taken Eriol with her. And left everyone else behind.

She allowed herself to imagine herself on the run with Eriol, back to Clow's palace. There, the two of them could continue their training while Touya and Tomoyo stayed here with Hashi, living out their days neither knowing nor caring where or how she was. But then, perhaps Touya would give her up again. Perhaps Tomoyo would. And then where would she be?

Sakura shook her head as her thoughts took a dark turn. Touya would never betray her again, he couldn't. And Tomoyo was a big piece in the games to come between the kingdoms. Sakura knew that there was a point at which she was sure of Tomoyo's role and had complete faith in her. She just couldn't remember it. During the time Sakura had spent with Eriol, he had tried to show her how to control the barriers in her mind. But she had nothing to show for her practice yet. Granted, Eriol turned out to be a horrible teacher. He spent most of his time flirting with her. Not that she particularly minded.

Sakura knew she needed to deal with her pendant quickly, though, regardless of how Eriol chose to teach her. She needed to remember that he had never had a student. Patience was probably key, but her anger and frustration was slowly building up and she wasn't sure how long the dam would hold.

Quickly, Sakura pulled out her two precious cards. The Dark and the Light. They were incredibly comforting to her. They were a secret that she hadn't even shared with Eriol yet, though she knew she would. She would when she got the opportunity to make another one, which she hoped would be soon. What she had done to Meilin seemed to satisfy the immense mass of magic that lingered deep in her gut for some time, but she could feel herself getting more nervous. Now that she knew she couldn't hold it in forever, she could tell when it wanted to break free.

She needed to break free.

As Sakura traced the faces etched on her cards, otherworldly beings that she could never have imagined before their physical creation, her mind continued to wander. She hadn't left the little room at the back of the shop all day and the sun was reaching its highest peak in the sky. Her stomach hadn't grumbled, though, and her soft lips remained hydrated. Perhaps she could hide in their forever, watching over the little girl while Tomoyo worked and feeling sorry for herself.

Sakura's mind jumped to Yamazaki, who she hadn't been able to spend time with at all. She had seen him here and there around the city; his duties seemed to take him either to the main gate or around the perimeter of the palace. But they hadn't been able to speak in confidence, which was another thing that Sakura desperately needed. A few moments alone with the strange soldier. She knew he was at least slightly infatuated with her, and she felt horrible having done nothing to deter it, but she could never forget the salute that he had given her whenever she laid eyes on him.

It was almost as if he knew who she was.

Her mind couldn't come up with a single reason for Yamazaki to give her Clow's salute, except treachery, perhaps. But he didn't seem like that type of person. There was no way he could have trained in the Reed Kingdom and come over later on in life. The Lis preferred their soldiers trained from an impressionable age.

Her mind briefly considered the possibility that he was a mage and could sense that she was, too. But if he were able to do so, she would too. And there was no way he could hide such a fact while being in the Li's army. She would need to take matters into her own hands in order to speak to him, instead of leaving it all to chance. Perhaps Eriol could help her.

Rika moved on the cot across from Sakura. She was still fast asleep, though, as she always was. The girl only woke to eat and relieve herself, much to everyone's concern. Yes, even Sakura was concerned. She thought that this may be a sign of magic developing in the small girl's body. She was a bit old, yes, but there was no telling how long magic would lay dormant in a person before it decided to reveal itself. What the Lis and their supporters failed to realize was that magic wasn't something that a sorcerer could create; it was something that a sorcerer could control. It just so happened that some people could only handle small doses of magic and others, like herself, could handle an untold amount of magic.

Sakura hoped for everyone's sake, especially the young girl's, that she did not have magic. There was no telling how it would reveal itself and if she or Hashi were absent when it happened, there was no telling what would happen. The only guarantee would be that the little girl would be hauled off to one of the prisons to rot.

It wasn't a pleasant image and it sent shivers down Sakura's spine.

"Sakura?" a soft knock sounded on the door. Sakura quickly hid her cards away, frowning. She didn't respond as the door opened and in slipped Tomoyo, a hard look in her eyes. Sakura knew it didn't suit the girl; she was meant to be the joyful, motherly type. She shouldn't be looking at Sakura with such disdain. "May I speak with you?"

Sakura shrugged. She didn't trust herself to say the right thing. Speaking to Tomoyo turned out to be a difficult task for her, it seemed. It baffled Sakura, seeing as how she could work her way smoothly into anyone else's heart. But she hadn't even tried to trick Tomoyo into being her friend.

"I think we need to talk about…" Tomoyo glanced at Rika. "our situation." Sakura looked at Rika, too. She somehow knew that the young girl was no danger to them.

"You mean about me being a princess with magical powers and running away from home with a brother whom I don't even get along with?" she muttered. Tomoyo frowned at her bluntness.

"Yes, that," she responded. She sat on Touya's cot, which was currently adjacent to Sakura's. "I don't believe Touya told me everything, and I don't need either of you to, but I do believe your identities and your general intentions are something that I should be informed of." Tomoyo's hard gaze was focused on Sakura. "You were the one who insisted I come along with you two. You were the one who adjusted your plans to include me. The least you can do is tell me what those plans are and what everyone's part is." Sakura scratched her head. She felt slightly embarrassed, having Tomoyo be the bigger person and coming to settle this first.

"Well, I don't know what to say. I'm Clow Reed's heir. No one knows about me. I'm a pretty damn powerful sorceress…." She trailed off. Tomoyo sighed.

"Touya basically covered all of that," she said. Sakura bit her lip.

"What exactly did he tell you?" she asked.

"The basics, I guess. Who you guys are… your abilities," Tomoyo muttered.

"I'm not entirely sure why we're in the Li Kingdom," Sakura said after a few moments. She figured that was the other part Tomoyo needed to know. She now knew who they were, but wasn't entirely clear on what was going on. Sakura silently felt grateful that Touya had left her to explain this. He was only following her, after all.

"Excuse me?" Tomoyo asked, eyes wide. Sakura shrugged sheepishly. It had been awhile since she had to discuss this subject.

"I don't know why I brought you guys here. I just know I need to be here," she said. Tomoyo took a long time to take this in. Sakura took advantage of her breathing exercises again, feeling a climb of anxiety.

"Was it an order given to you by Clow Reed?" Tomoyo asked. Sakura's breath caught.

"No, not exactly," she muttered. Tomoyo rubbed a palm against her forehead, trying to understand.

"Then how do you know we need to be here? Sakura, you're Clow Reed's heir. This is the most dangerous place you could possibly be," Tomoyo pointed out. Sakura couldn't help but flinch. She bit her lip as she thought of a plausible answer, looking anywhere but Tomoyo's eyes.

"I know it doesn't make sense. It took me a lot of time to convince Touya to let me leave the palace…"

_Sakura sat at a large table made of thick, rich wood. The intricate details along the edges were polished until they gleamed, glinting in the candlelight. Her head was in her hands as Touya stood across from her, on the other side of the table. His sharp gaze was directed out the window._

"_Do you have any clue how insane you sound? Clow's absence is getting to you," he muttered. His voice was soft but sharp, cutting through the silence. Sakura lifted her gaze to him, tears threatening to spill from her large, green eyes. "Going straight to the Lis is a death wish."_

"_Touya, I don't know how to explain it. But there isn't a doubt in my mind that that is where I need to be right now," she argued. Touya shook his head._

"_Don't you want to stick around until you can see Clow again?" he asked. Sakura's lip trembled. Clow was becoming a sensitive subject for her._

"_What I want doesn't matter," she whispered. "This is what I need to do." Tears spilled over, running down her cheeks. Touya glanced at her and she didn't miss the look of anguish in his eyes._

"_When Clow emerges from that room… he'll only have minutes, if that. The reason he put himself in this slumber was so you would have him when you need him most. What do you think is going to happen when he emerges and you're nowhere to be found?" Touya turned to fully face his sister. The golden buttons of his crisp uniform shined in the soft light. Sakura had no answer as she gazed at something on the far wall, unseen to any but her own eyes. After several minutes, Touya pulled out a chair and slowly sat in front of her._

"_Will you tell me what led to this decision?" he asked softly. Sakura took a deep breath, rubbing her reddened eyes._

"_It was a few weeks ago… A couple months after Clow left. I didn't dream that night. I didn't sleep. I just… floated. It was like I was in a dark limbo, but there was nothing sinister about it. I felt safe and at peace but I was still completely aware," she began. Touya was nodding slowly, listening intently. He was never one to divide his attention. "After what seemed like hours, a white light started to glow in the distance. I rushed toward it, but it never got any closer. It didn't get any further away, either." Sakura's head was in her hands again as she spoke. "But as I was running toward this light, I started to have these thoughts. I started thinking that I had to travel to the Li Kingdom. That I'm needed there for something important." She sniffled. "As the thought was becoming clearer in my head, the light started to turn yellow. And I just kept chasing after it until I had to wake up," she finished. Touya was looking at her strangely at this point._

"_Magic users are so strange," he groaned, rubbing his temples as if he had a headache. Sakura didn't react. "But if you're so sure…" he trailed off, glancing out the window and staying silent for a few more minutes. _

"_Then I guess I'm going with you."_

Sakura relayed the memory to Tomoyo, hoping that if it convinced Touya, it would convince her, too. Tomoyo remained deep in thought after her story, nodding her head periodically as if agreeing with herself.

"So you dreamed of Cerberus," Tomoyo stated after some time. Sakura frowned at this revelation, staring at Tomoyo.

"This Cerberus thing again," she muttered. Tomoyo nodded.

"You can't avoid it this time. Touya told me about that necklace you're always wearing," she said.

"Just how open are you two with each other?" Sakura grumbled, her eyes turning into a glare. Tomoyo shrugged, looking off to the side.

"He tells me enough to keep me in the loop," she reasoned, a sense of finality in her voice.

"And what makes you think Cerberus was in that dream?" Sakura asked.

"Because you saw a yellow ball of light?" Tomoyo gave her answer like a question. Sakura nodded slowly.

"So?"

"When I was traveling with Cerberus and Spinel, before I ran into you and Touya, Cerberus was in the form of a yellow sphere of light," Tomoyo explained. Sakura thought about this, chewing on her lip, a hand creeping up to grasp her pendant.

"I suppose that would make sense," Sakura muttered. Tomoyo nodded and looked down. Oh, how Sakura wished she could speak to this Cerberus.

Suddenly, a loud knock sounded on the door. Sakura and Tomoyo froze, not hearing a single pause in the knocking.

"Where's Touya?" Sakura asked. Tomoyo shook her head quickly, wide eyes frightened.

"He left about an hour ago with Hashi," she said. Sakura growled and glanced at Rika, who was twitched uncomfortably, her eyes winking open. She had to make a decision quickly.

"Okay," Sakura took a deep breath, standing. "Tomoyo, stay with her," Sakura pointed at Rika, who was being brought back to the land of the living. "I'll go." Tomoyo shot up at this.

"No! I need to be the one to answer," she said. Sakura knew that Tomoyo was the logical choice for the job, but she just didn't want Rika in her care. She'd said, like, two words to the girl in the time Rika had been with them. With a quick shake of her head, Sakura left the room before Tomoyo could argue any more.

Tomoyo was probably the more mature one of the two.

The pounding hadn't stopped, so when Sakura wrenched the door open, it was rather angrily. Her face was set in a scowl as she took in the sight before her. To the right stood Yamazaki, frowning with his eyes drawn to the side. Eriol stood uncomfortably to the left, his eyes watching the third man carefully. The third man stood in the middle, at the head of the little group. He was dressed in a long robe that was so obviously royal, it made Sakura cringe. The hood was drawn up over a head covered with a dirty brown cap.

As Sakura took in this stranger, a pounding headache started to emerge. Her eyes squinted in pain as she found a pair of chocolate brown eyes, cold and calculating, staring back at her. Sakura's breath hitched in her throat as she realized who this man was. She didn't know how. She didn't remember ever laying eyes on him before that moment. But with a painful twist in her gut, the proclamation was made.

Prince Syaoran Li stood at her doorstep.


	18. Chapter 18

Sakura clenched her jaw to keep it from trembling. Yamazaki avoided her eyes as they shifted over to him, noting the deep scowl on his face. When her eyes met Eriol's, he gave her a strange look. She wasn't sure if it was supposed to be reassuring or not, but he didn't seem too worried.

The prince glared at her as she remained in the doorway, taking in the group of young men. Sakura wasn't sure whether she should slam the door in his face and run out the back window or continue on as if everything were right with the world.

"This is my girlfriend, Akane," Eriol spoke up, breaking the silence. Sakura let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding as Eriol introduced her with her pseudonym. "I'm so sorry to interrupt your day, my dear…" Eriol gave Sakura what she thought was an apologetic look. "But we'll be going now." Eriol placed his hand on the prince's shoulder, who immediately shrugged it off with a scowl.

"No, I believe we'll be staying," he announced. Sakura sighed.

"Welcome to my home, Prince Li," Sakura gave an extravagant courtesy that she had learned growing up in a palace. The prince and Yamazaki both gawked at her and she fought the urge to roll her eyes. She wasn't _stupid_. "I apologize, but I was not expecting you today." Sakura stepped aside and the prince entered the shop, tearing off his dirty cap and throwing it at Yamazaki. Eriol and the soldier followed him reluctantly. The young sorceress took a moment to squeeze the door's handle as hard as she could, hoping to relieve some frustration, before closing it.

Her worst enemy had infiltrated her hideout.

Syaoran sat with a flourish, judging everything around himself with a critical eye. Eriol immediately wrapped an arm around Sakura's waist, kissing her on the cheek. Yamazaki watched them as he sat across from the prince, a deep frown on his face. Sakura couldn't help but laugh nervously.

"I _really_ wasn't expecting anyone today… Especially not the prince. And Yamazaki. And you, Eriol. I thought you were going to be working from morn till night?" she questioned, slightly glaring at the man. Yamazaki noticeably stiffened as Eriol gave her a confused look.

"Well, I technically am working. The prince requested I introduce the two of you…" he glanced at the grumpy looking prince, probably from being ignored, and the soldier. "How do you know Yamazaki?"

"We're friends," the soldier grunted. Sakura bit her lip.

"We, um, spent some time together once before you and I got together," she explained, hopefully sparing Yamazaki's feelings. "We've only seen each other in passing since." Eriol nodded as he led Sakura to the table to interact with the prince.

"Oh shit!" the curse shocked them all as they turned to the hallway to see Tomoyo, whose hands had flown up to cover her mouth. She stared wide eyed at the three newcomers, frozen in place. Sakura twisted out of Eriol's grasp as she ran toward the seamstress and grabbed her arm, pulling her back into their room. She could hear someone complaining as she slammed the door shut.

"Is that who I think it is?" Tomoyo whispered fiercely to her, eyes still wide as saucers. Sakura nodded slowly, resting her head in the palm of her hand. With a quick glance she could see that Rika was still awake.

"Yes. Apparently he ordered Eriol to introduce me. But you need to stay back here with her," Sakura said, pointing at the little girl. Tomoyo frowned.

"And leave you alone with them? I don't think so," she argued.

"That guy is the reason she's with us," Sakura explained. Tomoyo sighed. "Who knows what he would do if he discovered she's living with us. He doesn't exactly have the best reputation." Tomoyo was nodding in agreement.

"And I can't simply take your place…" she reasoned.

"Because they're here specifically for me," Sakura finished. Tomoyo narrowed her eyes.

"You wouldn't even be in this situation if you'd just kept Eriol at a distance," she pointed out. Sakura didn't answer as she looked away, turning to leave.

"I'll get them out of here as quickly as possible," she promised, leaving Tomoyo behind. With a deep breath, Sakura wiped her now sweaty palms on her shorts before re-entering the shop.

"I don't appreciate being ignored," a deep voice growled. For whatever reason, Sakura felt a shiver creep down her spine, adding to her discomfort.

"I apologize, your majesty, but my cousin really needs to finish her work… she's fallen a bit behind in the past few days," she excused. She slowly returned to Eriol's side and sat, directly across from the prince. "It is a pleasure to meet you." Syaoran snorted.

"How the hell did you know who I am without a royal horse underneath me?" he glared at her. Sakura took in his dark stare and realized that it was probably a rare occasion when he had a pleasant look on his face.

"Your robe, sir. I've never seen anything like it," she excused. Syaoran quickly looked down to inspect his outerwear as Eriol openly laughed.

"I told you so," he grinned. Syaoran's glare somehow deepened when he met Eriol's gaze, challenging him. Eriol, however, didn't let up, completely at ease. Sakura couldn't help but wonder if he was insane.

Her boyfriend soon eased them into a conversation, being the one doing most of the talking. The prince mostly grunted and bit out angry questions at her, which she answered as simply as she could. Yamazaki didn't take part at all, which had her worried.

"You know, I think we could all use something to eat," Sakura proclaimed as she shot out of her chair. The men gaped at her. "And, you know what, we don't have any food here," she laughed nervously. "Yamazaki, come help me." Sakura quickly grabbed Yamazaki's arm and dragged him out of the shop before anyone could protest. Marching them down the street, Sakura didn't stop until they reached an empty ally between two run-down, abandoned shops. There, Yamazaki pulled himself from her grasp and stepped away. He didn't leave, though, as they stared each other down.

"You led me on," Yamazaki eventually stated. Sakura bit her lip and nodded slowly.

"You sent me through a loop. After what you did that time, how could I do anything to drive you away? I need to know what was going through your head," Sakura explained. She gave him a desperate look, tucking some stray hairs behind her ears. Yamazaki's face hardened and he glanced around them, ensuring that they were alone.

"I was hoping you wouldn't tell anyone about that, but I honestly didn't think you'd look so far into it," he mumbled. Sakura sighed in response.

"How could I not?" Her voice was soft, catching Yamazaki's attention. He seemed to sense something beneath her words.

"I saw the way you reacted to those Seers that day," he began. There was a large pistol on his hip and he placed a hand on top of it restlessly. "I saw how Aria had to hold you back from… I don't know, trying to stop them or something. And it made me feel…" he paused, looking extremely uncomfortable. Sakura didn't waver, though, keeping her eyes trained on him. "I may be a loyal soldier of the Li's army, but that doesn't mean I agree with all of their teachings," he explained. "And I thought that you probably thought differently, too. And I wanted you to know we were on the same side." Yamazaki took a deep breath, his gaze flitting to the ground. Sakura copied his movements, taking in the information.

"What is it that drove you to… start thinking this way?" she asked. Worry etched itself onto Yamazaki's face, mixed with such a deep sorrow that Sakura felt horrible for even asking the question. He looked at her, though, and stepped closer. Their bodies were almost touching when Yamazaki began to speak again, his voice in a low whisper.

"I have a really strong feeling I can trust you, Akane… I don't know what it is, but I'm not going to ignore it. There was this girl. We were both young and we fell in love. I was a soldier in training and she was a common girl helping her parents run a bakery," he paused for a moment. "One day she took me to this meadow by the palace. I didn't even know it existed until then and I haven't been back since her… but she showed me something there. She had magic. She could make small flowers grow and bloom from the ground and make a soft breeze toss my hair around." Sakura was frozen at this point, holding her breath. "I was terrified at first. I loved this girl and here she was betraying our kingdom. After that, we didn't see each other for weeks. I fought with myself, trying to decide between turning her in or saving her. I loved her so much it was tearing me apart.

"The day came when I made a decision and I went to her. Alone. And from then on we were happy. She taught me about her magic and she explained to me what it really was and what it could be… and I slowly learned to accept and love it. It made her who she was and I wouldn't change that for the world." Yamazaki stopped here, his throat tightening. Sakura was clenching her hands, silently begging him to go on. She could feel his emotions intermixing with her own, driving tears to her eyes.

"But there's something you should understand here. Prince Syaoran and I have been friends for a very long time. We trained together when we were young and grew up together. I should have known better, but I got lazy. I stopped paying attention. And it wasn't long before Syaoran caught Chiharu… the love of my life… practicing magic. She was doing it for me and I was delightedly watching her, without a care in the world. Needless to say… she's gone now. In one of the prison camps. Syaoran used our friendship as an excuse to let me off." Yamazaki's eyes looked deeply into Sakura's. The pain she saw was so real she felt it herself.

"I thought when I ran into you I could start over. Maybe move on. They don't execute mages anymore, but they're locked up for life. There's no hope for me and her anymore. But now, seeing you with Eriol… I guess I was wrong." He was finished. Sakura couldn't help but gasp as a couple of tears escaped. It tore her apart, knowing that someone in this kingdom had loved a mage, only to have her torn away from him because of the ridiculous whims of the royal family.

"Yamazaki, Eriol and I… We have a long and complicated history. When we found each other in this city, it was difficult for… I mean, we couldn't have…" Sakura wasn't sure where she was going with this, but Yamazaki stopped her.

"I understand. I'm fine with it. Eriol is a fantastic guy. I just wish you had told me so I didn't have to find out this way," he said. Sakura nodded vigorously and grabbed his hand.

"Please, Yamazaki, just don't push me away. We can still be friends. I mean, I _need_ friends in this city…" She grasped his hand tightly, glad that he didn't pull away. "I can help you," she couldn't help but whisper. Yamazaki gave her a surprised look but slowly pulled her into a hug. It was friendly, comfortable, and safe. Neither wanted to move away.

"I appreciate that. But I don't know how you could possibly help me… except, perhaps, by being my friend," he chuckled sadly. Sakura shook her head. They stood still for a moment longer before an idea crept into Sakura's mind, slowly but surely. She shook her head to try to clear it away, but the idea was still there. A familiar gut feeling accompanied it, making the idea a request that was hard to deny.

"Yamazaki, I can help you…" she whispered again, pulling away only far enough to look into his eyes. He was shocked at the sudden intensity she held.

"How could you possibly…" he couldn't finish his question, put off by the change. Sakura took a deep, careful breath and said a silent prayer.

"Yamazaki, my name isn't Akane," she began. Yamazaki's eyebrows scrunched together, confused. "My name is Sakura." Yamazaki pulled away a bit more, not completely letting go. When Sakura thought this bit of information had sunk in, she held up a hand between them, holding it where their bodies would block any eavesdropping eyes. With another prayer, Sakura allowed a small amount of her magic to gather in the palm of her hand, glowing a soft pink. Yamazaki gasped as he stepped closer, glancing around in alarm. After a moment, Sakura let the magic go and the light was gone. They stood still for another moment before Yamazaki, breathing heavily, grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the ally. Walking quickly, he led them back to the busy street and to a food stall, where he promptly bought enough bread and stew for their small party.

"Seers could have caught the scent of your magic," Yamazaki whispered fiercely as they practically jogged back to Hashi's shop. Sakura nodded in understanding. That was what her last prayer had been for.

When they returned, Touya and Hashi were still absent. Syaoran was glowering at the table while Eriol tried to joke around with him. Eriol didn't seem worried when the pair returned, jumping right back into an easy conversation that included them all. Sakura couldn't help but wonder how he didn't hold a position of higher power.

Syaoran rarely spoke, answering only when Eriol asked him a direct question. The prince's eyes never left Sakura, studying her every move and memorizing her every feature. Sakura couldn't help but do the same, taking in his dark brown eyes and messy hair as she clutched Eriol's hand, feeding off of his support.

By the end of their stay, Yamazaki had taken to telling ridiculous stories. Syaoran listened to these intently and they shocked Sakura. Eriol only laughed, though, playing along with Yamazaki every step of the way. The sun was setting by the time Eriol, Yamazaki, and Prince Syaoran took their leave. Syaoran still said nothing as he walked away, both worrying and confusing Sakura. Why had he decided to seek her out? Were he and Eriol truly that close?

Sakura crept back to her room and found Rika sleeping soundly in Tomoyo's arms, who was staring intently at the walls. The girls said no words to each other as Sakura prepared for bed, not bothering to wait for darkness to fully set in before falling asleep.


	19. Chapter 19

Sakura leaned back against the oak tree as she finished telling her story to Eriol. He held his head in his hand, deep in thought. Spinel was curled up between the couple, purring softly as Sakura ran her fingers through his soft fur. She stared at the palace as she waited for Eriol's response, glinting in the evening light gloriously.

"I had no idea. I thought Yamazaki and Chiharu just broke up or something… But Syaoran's heartlessness isn't exactly a shock. When he sees a law broken, he can't look the other way. Law and order are second nature to him," Eriol chuckled sadly. "He isn't the rule breaker he used to be." Sakura sighed.

"I really want to live up to this promise, Eriol. I want to get Chiharu back for Yamazaki," she stated. Eriol gave her a small smile and took her hand.

"As much as I would love for that to happen, it's impossible. She's in prison, love. There's nothing that can be done about it until the Lis are overthrown," he reasoned. Sakura clenched her jaw and shook her head.

"There has to be a way, Eriol. Every defense has its weak points… we just have to find the prison's," she argued. She looked Eriol in the eye and begged silently. With a sigh, Eriol leaned over and gave her a deep kiss.

"I'll look into it. But I can't guarantee anything," he whispered to her. She nodded gratefully.

"Don't do anything to get yourself in trouble." Eriol nodded in return. "I didn't realize you and the prince were so close," Sakura then stated. Eriol raised an eyebrow, demanding explanation. "I would understand a close friend wanting to meet his friend's girlfriend, but you work for the prince…"

"I spend every day with Syaoran. Of course we're close," Eriol chuckled. Sakura frowned. It bugged her how he often seemed to take things too lightly.

"So when he asks to meet me, you immediately oblige?" she demanded. Eriol knew how dangerous such a thing was. Eriol shook his head, though.

"I fought it for weeks. He actually noticed when I started coming to town every night to see you for a week straight," he explained. Sakura's frown remained, so Eriol started sending butterfly kisses up her neck. "I know how you work under pressure. I wasn't worried at all," he mumbled. Sakura sighed as she let him push her to the ground. He leaned over her, smiling brightly.

"So this is where you two run off to," a deep voice interrupted them. Eriol's eyes widened in alarm as Spinel sprinted away. Sakura struggled to see passed Eriol to find out who it was, the voice a big hint that she refused to acknowledge.

"Oh Syao, can't we have a moment of peace?" Eriol called out in an easy tone. Sakura clenched her jaw as the two of them sat up slowly. She saw the prince approaching them alone, fitted in his royal garb. His trademark glare remained on his face even as he tried to poke fun.

"I don't think what you were looking for was peace," he pointed out. Eriol chuckled well naturedly as he gave Sakura's hand a squeeze. It didn't look like the prince was going anywhere. "Akane," Syaoran greeted in a low voice.

"Prince Li," she responded. The air between them was instantly thick with tension, growing thicker as Syaoran finished his journey and plopped down on the ground next to Eriol. Eriol glanced nervously between the two as he sensed the heaviness in the air. "What brings you in on our private moment?" Sakura asked with a sarcastic smile. Syaoran's eyes narrowed, not missing the contempt.

"I've been lonely. You've been stealing Eriol away much too often," he stated. Eriol started laughing as Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Well you always have Yamazaki, Meilin, any of the other soldiers… Oh, can't forget about Eren…" Eriol started listing off. Syaoran growled.

"Meilin's been bedridden for weeks. And Yamazaki can get obnoxious, especially with that blonde bimbo Eren around," he said. Sakura felt Eriol's grip tighten and was confused for a moment as she took this new information in. It seemed as though Eriol made a mistake.

"It sounds like this Meilin isn't doing too well," Sakura said softly. Eriol didn't respond, didn't even look at her, as Syaoran snorted.

"The girl is wasting away," he offered. "My mother must have scared her to death. It did start to happen after she spoke to her." Sakura watched Eriol carefully, waiting for a reaction from him. They had been spending weeks together happily, getting to know each other and training. And he continually reassured her that everything going on at the palace was all right. That the Seers hadn't sensed a change.

"Well, what's wrong with her? I've had some medical training… maybe some fresh eyes would help," Sakura couldn't help but offer. It was also a lie. She didn't know anything at all about medicine.

Syaoran's glare was trained on her for a moment, debating. With a quick glance at Eriol, though, he continued. "She's been have migraines. They're so horrible she can't look into any sort of light and the smallest sound will send her into a fit," he explained. His voice was gruff and Sakura didn't miss the fleeting glint of worry in his eyes. A shot of jealously flared through her for an instant, but she quickly calmed herself, wondering where the feeling had come from.

"Sounds like growing pains to me," she fibbed. Touya always complained of headaches, aches, and pains when he would go through a growth spurt as a boy. "Some people continue growing well into their twenties." Syaoran thought seriously about this, folding his arms across his chest. Eriol tried to lean into Sakura, but she discreetly leaned away, temporarily angry with him. After a few minutes of silence, Syaoran started to nod his head.

"None of the royal physicians mentioned anything like that. It makes sense, though… she was starting to pack on a lot of weight," the prince mused. Sakura couldn't help but roll her eyes again.

"So, why are you here again?" Sakura questioned, not bothering to hide her rudeness. Syaoran gave her a snide look.

"Eriol is my best friend. I'm not going to leave him to just any girl," he proclaimed. Sakura's eyebrows shot to her hairline as she looked at Eriol, who was sheepishly staring at the ground. Just how much had he been toning down about his life at the palace?

"Really. I had no idea you two were so close," she said bluntly. Syaoran nodded resolutely.

"We were close even before he became the family's right hand. I'd see him every time Meilin would come home," the prince offered. Sakura stared at the prince for a moment.

"So what do you think of me so far? You hardly said anything when you burst into my home," she said. The prince glared at her, though she hardly found it insulting considering the amount of time the disdainful look was on his face.

"I'm still deciding," he said.

"Which is the reason you've decided to interrupt us today?" Eriol jumped in. Sakura and Syaoran both looked at him, having forgotten he was a part of the conversation.

"Yes, actually," Syaoran mumbled. Sakura sighed and rubbed her temples with her hands, feeling a migraine of her own coming on. More uncomfortable minutes passed as the trio sat in the meadow, not quite meeting each other's eyes. Slowly, Sakura stood up and dusted herself off.

"Well, you two can get cozy and I'll just head on home," she announced, starting to walk away.

"Sa-Akane, wait!" Eriol begged, nearly slipping up. Syaoran frowned at her.

"Why would you leave now?" he asked, standing with Eriol. Sakura glanced back at them, glaring.

"As much as I love sitting around with Eriol and the prince, I would much rather be doing something else right now," she answered. She didn't miss the hurt that crossed Eriol's face. He grabbed her hand to keep her from going any further.

"I'm sorry, I really am. It's just…" Eriol tried to explain himself, glancing at Syaoran who was watching them intently. "I would prefer to keep my life at the palace separate from my life with you." Sakura wanted to understand, truly. But as she watched Eriol's pleading eyes she couldn't help but shake her head. She was in this wretched city for much more than just him and he knew it.

"Before I came along, your life at the palace was all you had. If you keep me separate from it, how can we possibly be happy together?" she wondered. Eriol sighed. They both knew their conversation had to go much deeper, but with the prince there listening it wasn't possible. Sakura pulled her hand from Eriol's and she walked away, leaving the men behind.

With a defeated sigh, Eriol leaned back on the oak tree and slid back down to the ground, frowning at Syaoran, who looked confused.

"Why did she get angry?" he asked gruffly. Eriol shook his head.

"Women are complex creatures," he mumbled. Syaoran could sense that there was more, but left it alone. For now. "How did you find us?" Eriol asked. Syaoran shrugged.

"I asked around."

"Or ordered around?" Eriol couldn't help but grin. Syaoran glared at him in return. True to his nature, though, Syaoran didn't respond and allowed them to sit in silence for a few more minutes as Eriol sat miserably.

"So Meilin really hasn't been getting any better?" Eriol asked after some time. Syaoran simply shook his head. "Akane thought I only worked for you. It didn't occur to her that we might be close friends," he explained. Syaoran's eyes narrowed at this.

"Why would it be such a problem, anyway?" he asked. Eriol looked up to the sky in thought.

"She's not exactly a fan of the royal family," he answered. Syaoran nodded. This was a relatively common occurrence.

"Why would she like you, then? You're not exactly unfriendly with us," the prince offered. Eriol sighed.

"Special circumstances, I guess. Our relationship was pretty complicated before I convinced her to give me a chance," he explained. Syaoran leaned back on his elbows, studying Eriol closely.

"And why would you want her to give you a chance?" he questioned. It hadn't gotten passed Eriol how closely Syaoran watched Sakura at the metal shop, nor how intently he had just been observing her. Eriol didn't quite know what it was about Sakura that intrigued the prince so, but he hoped Syaoran would be satisfied quickly.

"Because I fell in love with her the moment I set eyes on her."


	20. Chapter 20

Meilin Li laid on a large feather bed, breathing heavily with a greasy mop of hair tied on top of her head. She watched the man who sat before her carefully, not having the energy to fight his presence. The light that glinted off his glasses sent a sharp pain through her head and she saw flashes of him and a woman hiding behind a corner. Or was she the one hiding?

The man was smiling happily, seeming very entertained as he watched Meilin. His silver hair fell into his eyes as he chuckled to himself, earning a heated glare from the woman.

"What is it you need from me, Yue?" she demanded. His laugh was muffled by the name she called him and his smile turned into nothing more than a smirk.

"I'm going to need to ask you to call me Yukito while in the palace," he said in a firm voice. Meilin grit her teeth.

"You will always be Yue to me, sir," she answered. His shoulders shook as he tried to muffle another laugh. "Now what is it you need from me?"

"I'm just here to talk… see how you've been doing?" He had a look of mock sympathy on his face. "I hear you haven't been feeling well." Meilin snarled at this.

"You don't say."

"It wouldn't have anything to do with your little meeting with the queen, would it?" he asked innocently. Meilin flinched at the memory.

The queen had been angry from the moment Meilin had entered the room. Meilin was told of the queen's discoveries, but had also been accused of treachery. Clow Reed had an heir and she supposedly knew who it was. But she couldn't think of a time when she would have even gotten close to such a discovery. And as the queen had continued to torment her, the illness she was currently suffering from slowly started to set in. She managed to tolerate it for a few days, but eventually she simply couldn't leave her bed. In the time since, almost two months if her judgement on time could be trusted, Meilin had a lot of time to think. Eventually she decided that, yes, if she did know there was an heir to the Reed Kingdom and who it was, she would keep that bit of information from the queen. But she didn't know and it seemed as though she were being punished for it.

"I didn't become bedridden until days after that instance," she responded. The man smiled again.

"I believe that you don't know who the heir is," he said. Meilin's eyes softened and her glare was replaced with suspicion.

"Do you? The queen would disagree," she said. The man nodded vigorously.

"I know, I know. I didn't finish," he responded. "I do, however, believe that you used to know." His proclamation made Meilin frown, putting too much pressure on her temples.

"That makes no sense," she mumbled.

"Maybe not," he agreed. "But I have some very reliable sources. And they tell me that it is true." Meilin's eyes widened at this, knowing exactly who his reliable sources were. He allowed Meilin to sit in silence for a few minutes as she thought, impatiently shaking his leg. Eventually, she spoke up.

"It would certainly explain these horrible migraines," she said. The man nodded to confirm. "And the queen's insistence." The man nodded again. Meilin looked down at her hands, having grown pale and frail looking over the weeks.

"Clow Reed's heir would need to be a sorcerer. A powerful one. And if this sorcerer knew I knew who they were… they would be very interested in changing that," she reasoned. The man kept nodding, looking like a bobble head. Meilin's constant headache was started to intensify as she thought this through. "I didn't know it was possible to mess with someone's memories." The man paused at this, considering it for a moment.

"Neither did I," he said. Meilin was surprised for a moment, but quickly brushed it off. She gazed into the darkest depths of her room, trying to sort this out.

"If I saw this person again, I might remember," she mumbled. The man was getting giddy again. "And if I remember, I can capture them…" A plan was beginning to formulate in her mind. "And I _will_ catch this person." It was a promise. The man let himself burst into laughter, causing Meilin to flinch again. The man made her incredibly nervous.

Neither of them exchanged pleasantries as the man stood to leave, laughing manically. Meilin watched him go, her eyes narrow.

* * *

Sakura sat next to Hashi, fiddling with her pendant. She had told him of her recent findings and he had been sitting there sipping his tea and mulling it over for the past hour. She liked to think of herself as a patient person, but she was starting to get fidgety. The Yamazaki nonsense along with Meilin and Eriol's true relationship with the prince was a lot to take in.

"Well," Hashi began. Sakura immediately sat up straighter. "Eriol and the prince… I already knew about that." Sakura slouched over dejectedly.

"You did? Why didn't you say anything?" she demanded. Hashi raised a wrinkled white eyebrow at her.

"I assumed you already knew. Besides, it doesn't make much difference either way. You let him become a part of your life when he was at the prince's beck and call by order. Now they're friends. Doesn't make much difference to me," he explained. Sakura chewed her lip. She had already started to come to this conclusion, but she had hoped Hashi would have something different to say. "About Yamazaki… that is very interesting. I would definitely keep him close, but be careful. He obviously isn't." Hashi shook his head at this and Sakura looked down. She had left out the part when she showed Yamazaki she had magic. "Our greatest concern, obviously, is Meilin."

Sakura nodded at this. It was obvious that Meilin's illness was a result of Sakura's meddling. The timing was too perfect. She had to think that Meilin still didn't remember anything, though, regardless of her condition. Otherwise she would hope Eriol would warn her.

"I don't know what we could possibly do to rectify the situation, but in the meantime… Well, we're just gonna have to hope she remains bedridden. As long as she's stuck in a single room, there isn't much that can trigger the memories she once had…" Hashi stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Be sure to tell Eriol to stay away from her as much as possible. He was there when Meilin discovered your identity, wasn't he?" Sakura nodded in affirmation. Hashi leaned back and set his cup down, watching Sakura closely.

"I hear you and Tomoyo have been having a rough time," he stated. Sakura sighed.

"I don't think it's ever been smooth sailing for us," she responded. Hashi chuckled.

"I realize why it may be difficult for you to want to warm up to Tomoyo… but that girl has a good head on her shoulders. She'll be a great asset to you someday." Sakura glanced up at that. He said the last part a bit too seriously, putting a bit too much emphasis on it. He was looking out the window now, but observing him, Sakura thought he looked almost sad. "How has your training with Eriol been coming along?" he asked.

"I still can't do anything," Sakura answered, shrugging. Hashi sighed.

"That isn't good. I'm not particularly fond of Eriol and if he can't help you… I'm not sure it's a good idea for him to keep hanging around." Hashi narrowed his eyes. "Especially if the prince is going to be coming around." Sakura clenched her jaw.

"Eriol has been a huge support for me here," she mumbled. "Touya and I still don't get along very well… Tomoyo and I are distant from each other. And you're rarely even here anymore," Sakura frowned. Hashi nodded slowly.

"I understand, but even that Yamazaki fellow would be a safer bet," he said. Sakura didn't respond. A pitter patter of feet was heard coming down the hall and they both looked over to see Rika approaching, hugging herself shyly.

"Rika, my dear," Hashi smiled a grandfatherly smile and the little girl immediately rushed over to him for a hug. Sakura couldn't help but smile at the sign of affection and feel immensely jealous, remembering her days with Clow. "Do you need anything?" he asked. Rika looked up at Sakura shyly then looked quickly away. Sakura's eyebrows furrowed together. The only sort of significant interaction she'd had with the girl was bringing her to the shop. "Go on, Rika. Don't be afraid," Hashi urged.

"I…" Rika looked torn, her red hair falling into her eyes. "I want Sakura to do my hair," she requested softly. Sakura's mouth fell open and Hashi couldn't help but laugh.

"I don't know if that's such a great idea…" Sakura glanced uncomfortably between Rika and Hashi. With another great laugh, though, Hashi nudged Rika toward Sakura.

"It's a wonderful idea. You two need some bonding time," he proclaimed. Rika smiled shyly up at Sakura, who gave a small smile in return. She didn't quite know what to do as Rika turned around and kneeled in front of her. As Hashi stood, he moved to stand by Sakura for a moment to whisper in her ear.

"Remember how we became friends. Remember how you and Eriol became friends. Magic attracts magic, Sakura, and there's no way around it," he said. Sakura stilled as he walked away, most likely heading to bed.

So he had the same suspicions that she did. The possibility of Rika having magic was great, even in her late age… but as Sakura started working on the girl's hair, the wheels in her head started turning faster. It was always the smallest, yet most important details she overlooked. There could only be one mage to each family bloodline. The girl's mother had been arrested for using magic… and they had assumed this was her biological daughter. If Rika wasn't biologically related to her mother, then it might make sense…

"Rika," Sakura said lightly. "Did you always live with your mom?" Rika nodded quickly, messing up the work Sakura had started doing to her hair.

"Yep. Mommy always told me I was born in a big ugly barn before she brought me to Tsui…" the girl's voice was soft as she told her story. Sakura frowned.

Problem one, Rika is biologically related to her mage mother. So problem two might be that Rika's mother wasn't really a mage…

"Rika," Sakura said again, once she thought the girl was finished speaking in her delicate voice. The girl glanced up at her. "Why do you sleep so much? Have you not been feeling well?" she asked. The girl frowned deeply, concerning Sakura.

"I'm always tired. And when I'm awake I usually get these headaches… and then I get dizzy. Hashi says it's just a part of growing up and he makes me this really good tea, but I still really just want to sleep a lot…" Rika trailed off as she thought about her predicament. Sakura dropped the girl's hair at the mention of Hashi and laid a hand on her shoulder.

When Sakura thought Rika was in danger of coming out as a mage, she was very wrong. Rika had already come out, years ago. And instead of being taught to control her magic… For whatever reason, her mother had decided to bring her to Tsui, where her magic would be constricted. Until one day when Rika made the tiniest mistake… and her mother sacrificed herself for it.

"Rika, I know you love to talk about your mom… Did she ever teach you anything?" A broad statement, but simple to a child's mind.

"Oh yeah! She said I shouldn't talk to strangers and I should always pay a fair price for bread…" Sakura listened intently as Rika went on and on. "…she also said that I should always be good to the royal family. She said that they teach us good things and protect us from bad people. She said that they taught us how there are these gods and they're super powerful…" That seemed to confirm it. Rika's mother, regardless of how much she loved her daughter, wasn't okay with her magic. And there was no better place to contain it than in the City of Tsui.

Sakura started on Rika's hair again as she kept talking. She had never heard the girl talk so much, but it seemed as though Hashi was spot on… magic attracts magic. Sakura sighed as another question popped into her mind: Why was Hashi allowing Rika to sleep instead of teaching her how to use her powers? It was a dangerous game, but one that needed to be played. What would happen the next time Rika's magic got restless? Living with the girl was turning out to be more dangerous than spending time with the prince and his best friend.


	21. Chapter 21

Rika was crying. No one could figure out the reason why. Her horrible screams filled the shop, driving away customers. Sakura used it as an excuse to send Eriol away when he had come to pick her up for their nightly date. Tomoyo had put her work aside to try calming the girl. Touya could barely sit in one place for a minute, his head becoming strangely aggravated every time the little redhead's screams reached an ungodly pitch.

"This needs to stop," Touya growled at Hashi, who was quickly brewing a pot of sweet chamomile tea. His face was scrunched together with worry, looking back to the kids' room every few seconds. "Someone is going to stop being considerate sometime soon and call over soldiers to take care of her."

"I am aware of that, Touya," Hashi bit out, uncharacteristically harsh. Touya only glared in response. Within a few seconds, Rika's cries had simmered down to a few agonizing whimpers. Touya rubbed the sides of his head with relief as Hashi slumped down at the table. "Tomoyo and Sakura are trying their best to keep her comfortable, but they can't do anything for a pain they cannot see," Hashi explained as he waited for the tea. "Touya, are you sensing something unusual? Why are you reacting so strongly to this?" he asked. Touya merely sighed.

"How can you all _not_ be suffering from this nonsense? I have a headache because that girl has been screaming her head off for hours on end!" he yelled. Hashi shot the man a glare as Rika's whimpers started to grow in volume again. Suddenly, Sakura came crashing down the hall.

"Hashi!" she yelled, glaring. "You knew this would happen eventually. Why haven't you done anything to prevent it?" Touya flinched as he saw the claw marks scattered over Sakura's arms.

"What was I supposed to do? Start giving her lessons right here in the shop?" Hashi bit out angrily. Touya shook his head.

"What in the world are you two talking about? If whatever is happening could have been prevented, why the hell wasn't it?" he huffed. Sakura crossed her arms over her chest as the cries started to develop into screams again.

"You didn't even tell Touya?" she demanded. Hashi pounded his fist on the table.

"How can two people trained by Clow Reed himself be so dense? We're in the middle of Tsui! There is absolutely nothing I can do except prepare for the worst. And you, Touya, should know what is going on, of all people. You were a goddamn Seer! Not to mention the fact, _again_, that you were trained by Clow Reed," Hashi yelled over the little girl's cries.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Touya threw his hands up in the air, insulted and exasperated. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Rika has magic, you moron," she sneered.

"Don't act so high and mighty, Sakura. You didn't know for sure yourself until yesterday," Hashi inserted. Sakura's mouth dropped open as she glared at the old man.

"Magic? Then shouldn't we be taking her to the meadow or something? Use magic to _help_ her?" Touya looked between the two mages.

"Would you like to carry the girl, kicking and screaming, through a city of soldiers and religious bigots?" Hashi asked harshly. Touya flinched and laid his aching head in his hand.

"There has to be something we can do, though," Sakura said, frowning. "There has to be something that wouldn't be sensed by Seers that we could—" The shop suddenly shook, throwing Sakura off her feet. Touya immediately rushed over to help her up, holding her protectively. Hashi shot up from his chair and rushed over to the teapot.

"We can put her to sleep," Hashi announced as he quickly prepared the drink. Sakura and Touya stumbled as the shop shook once again. Sakura shoved Touya away as she stumbled down the hall, Touya following her as he saw her aura let loose.

"Sakura, don't!" he yelled as they entered the bedroom. They found Tomoyo crouched in a corner, covering her head, on the opposite side of the room was Rika. Rika herself was laying on a cot, twitching uncontrollably. Sakura crawled over to the girl as she was thrown from her feet by another dangerous rumble.

"Rika, you have to listen to me," Sakura begged as she reached the girl and took her hands. Rika looked bleary eyed at the sorceress, tears staining her face. "You need to calm down. I know it hurts," Rika's body racked with a painful sob. "I know. But a lot worse could happen if we don't get this under control." Sakura grasped Rika's hands tightly as the ground shook again. Her aura, powerful with magic let loose, floated around her and lifted her hair as Rika watched her.

"I can't…" Rika sobbed. "I'm not supposed to, but it hurts…" Sakura felt her heart break as she watched Rika struggle and decided that escaping punishment wasn't worth leaving this little girl in so much pain. She eased a bit of magic into her hands as she cupped Rika's cheeks, wiping her tears away. Rika dug her nails into Sakura's forearms, searching for a way to release her pain.

"Rika, all you need to do is breathe…" Sakura hoped she sounded soothing. Glancing behind herself, she saw that Touya and Tomoyo were watching her intently, prepared for anything. Hashi was still at the front of the shop. "Please, Rika. Just listen to me and breathe."

The little girl's red hair stuck to her forehead as she shook her head vigorously, denying Sakura her cooperation. Sakura tried to expose the girl to a bit more magic, hoping its presence would comfort and heal her.

"Sakura, can you do anything?" Tomoyo's voice sounded. Sakura shook her head.

"I've never been able to heal anything more than a cut or bruise."

"Aren't you supposed to be some kind of all-powerful sorceress?!" Tomoyo was losing her patience, going insane with worry. She fell into Touya's arms as the house shook again, Sakura having lost her concentration.

"Just because she has the ability to do anything doesn't mean it comes easily to her," Touya muttered.

"Rika, everything will be alright, just concentrate on me…" Sakura was muttering. She had leaned forward and placed her forehead against Rika's, feeling the girl's cold and clammy skin against her own.

"I want my mommy…" Rika whimpered, her nails still digging into Sakura's skin. Sakura held back a flinch as she forced herself to continue breathing, keeping a calm voice as she spoke to Rika.

"Rika, don't you feel my magic?" she whispered desperately. It took a few moments for Rika's eyes to open and land on Sakura's.

"It's beautiful," she whispered. Sakura couldn't help but grin.

"It could all be yours if you wanted it to be," she whispered back. She didn't miss the hopeful glint in Rika's eyes.

"I can't hurt mommy like that," she fought. Sakura ran her fingers through the girl's hair.

"Rika, your mother's sacrifice will have been for nothing if we can't control what is going on right now. And the only way to control this is for you to accept who you truly are," Sakura explained. A sob escaped Rika's lips as her eyes started to fill up with fresh tears. "Rika, just let me help you."

Sakura immediately felt Rika mentally reach for her magic. She allowed the young girl to grab onto it, showing her how great her gift was. She heard Hashi rushing down the hallway and entering the bedroom, but it was too late. She wouldn't take this moment away from Rika. And the harsh rumblings throughout the shop wouldn't go unnoticed by their neighbors. Sakura knew it was only a matter of time before soldiers came pounding at their door.

Sakura felt Rika's grip on her arms loosen. With a sigh of relief, Sakura kept up her steady flow of magic. Unbeknownst to her, her pendant slipped out from beneath her shirt, already glowing a bright pink. Sakura and Rika's breathing became in sync as Sakura's aura started to fill the room, blinding only Touya. He called her name, but she couldn't hear him as she urged Rika to join her. Soon enough, a baby blue color started to blend in with Sakura's aura, sending a calming vibe coursing through the three onlookers.

A shock ran through Sakura as she sensed, rather than saw, a glowing rectangle begin to form between her chest and Rika's. She could feel it quickly solidifying, eager to become whole after so long in the dark. Quickly, Sakura called the cards she had already created to her, and they immediately appeared on either side of the newly forming one.

Rika's fingers made their way into Sakura's hair as she giggled, enjoying the feeling of complete freedom she was experiencing. As the card between them began to dim and reveal its designs, Sakura could feel Rika slipping away, a peaceful sleep taking over her. Sakura opened her eyes and lifted her hand, catching the cards in the air. Leaning back from the sleeping Rika, Sakura looked to see what she had created. The Flower lay in her hand, making her heart beat faster in excitement.

After a few moments, Sakura shook her head and put the cards where the belonged on her hip. Looking back to her audience, she saw Touya leaning against the wall, his head in his hands. Tomoyo was staring at her with wide eyes and Hashi's face was expressionless.

"Well, that solves that," Hashi said after a few minutes of silence. He looked to where she put her cards. "And I now understand why you thought you could get by in a city of enemies." Not a moment later, an incessant pounding emanated from the front door.

"Soldiers, most likely," Tomoyo whispered. Glancing around at all the magic users, Tomoyo quickly ran her fingers through her hair and straightened her dress out. "Excuse me," she muttered as she left to answer the door. Sakura quickly got up and tucked Rika into the cot. She then rushed over to Touya, grabbing him by the shoulders and gently pushing him to the small bed nearest to him, where he proceeded to lay down with his hands over his eyes.

"You reacted well," Sakura heard Hashi mutter. She nodded as she turned to face the old man, sorrow written all over her face.

"What should we do, Hashi?" she whispered. She didn't miss the look of pain that crossed Hashi's face as he walked up to her, cupping her face in his hands.

"Whatever happens, Sakura, I want you to remember something," he whispered back. Sakura nodded. "If there is anyone in this world who can follow in Clow Reed's footsteps, it is you. If there is anyone in this world you can trust, it is those closest to you. And if you ever feel any doubt, turn to this," Hashi tapped Sakura's pendant, which she quickly tucked under her shirt. "You may not be able to reach it yet, but there is something looking out for you. Don't forget that." Tears brimmed Sakura's eyes as she watched Hashi.

"Hashi, just what are you planning on doing?" Sakura's mind flashed back to her last moments with Clow, watching him enter a bare, stone room and locking the door that separated them. "Hashi, you can't leave us." Hashi patted Sakura on the head as he gave her a smile.

"Sakura, I was always meant for this. I made Clow a promise to protect you and I plan on doing just that," he responded. Surprise flitted across Sakura's face. Before she could question him, Hashi turned on his heel and slammed the door to the room. Sakura could only shuffle forward and lean her hands against the closed door, shutting her eyes tightly. She held her breath as she strained her ears, trying to listen in.

* * *

The moment Tomoyo opened the door, Seers flooded the shop. They immediately started overturning worktables and throwing tools across the room. A single man stood towering over her, dropping his hood and narrowing his eyes. Tomoyo flinched as his horrible breath filled her lungs. She forced herself to lift her eyes, though, taking in all of his blemishes and grease.

"I have a feeling you know why we're here," the man sneered. Tomoyo straightened and opened her mouth to answer.

"I know," Tomoyo was interrupted by an old man's voice. Spinning around, Tomoyo stared as Hashi entered the room. He still had a slight limp, but a power that demanded everyone's respect and attention was seeping from his skin. She had never seen him stand so tall or look so proud.

"We've been suspecting you for some time, old man. Finally losing your touch?" the disgusting Seer shoved his way passed Tomoyo, knocking her on her butt. She gasped as she hit the ground, her eyes not leaving the distant old man who had become a constant, grandfatherly presence in her life.

"A sorcerer never loses his touch. I'm just sick and tired of hiding from cowards," Hashi grumbled powerfully. Tomoyo's eyes were drawn to his fists, which were crackling with visible electricity, the sparks of light grabbing on to any conductive surface it could reach. The Seer took a step back as he saw it, too. He thrust his hand out, though, and Tomoyo was immediately lifted into the air. She felt as if she were being held by her neck, but no human hands touched her.

"I suggest you come with us quietly," the Seer insisted. Tomoyo watched, choking, as the expression in Hashi's eyes remained. The sparks stopped, though. He had planned this.

"Just let the girl go. She's innocent in all of this," Hashi demanded. The Seer complied, only eager to be the one to arrest Hashi, a mage who had been slipping through their fingers for years. With a snap of the head Seer's fingers, the other Seers throughout the room converged upon the old man, using their stolen, demonic gifts to hold him in place. No one acknowledged Tomoyo as she struggled to catch her breath and climb to her feet, watching them drag Hashi away. She was helpless.

"Tomoyo," a whisper from the hallway caught her attention. Seeing Sakura, Tomoyo forced some strength into her limbs and dashed to the auburn haired girl, hugging her tightly before she could see any tears begin to spill. Sakura quickly fell to her knees, though. Not crying, just defeated.

Tomoyo remained on her feet, feeling helpless yet protective over Sakura. She turned to the open door to watch for anymore intruders and nearly screamed at what met her eyes. Still in the doorway, her hood drawn up, a Seer watched them. Not even the hood could hide the Seer's beauty from Tomoyo, her silky black hair resting over her shoulders. The Seer's face seemed to be contorted in pain. But in a few moments, the Seer had run away.

Tomoyo couldn't help but fall to her knees next to Sakura. The entire shop was wrecked, Hashi was gone. Rika was asleep and Touya was recovering from the sharp pain of his seeing abilities.

"Tomoyo… what should we do?" Sakura whispered. Tomoyo looked at her counterpart, shocked. Since when had anyone asked her such questions?

"Sakura… for now we need to lay low. Touya needs to continue running the shop. You need to remain hidden with Rika. Other than that… I don't know."

* * *

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	22. Chapter 22

Meilin stumbled into her room, gasping for air. She tore off her cloak and threw it as far away as she could. Her face was contorted in anger, dripping with sweat. As soon as her door slammed closed, she dropped to her knees, her fingers digging into the stone floor. She tried not to shake violently as a knife-like pain sliced through her head. After a few minutes of fighting, Meilin lay on the floor, her body tense.

She forced herself to breathe deeply, pushing through the pain. She knew after Yue's visit what she needed to do. All she had been doing for years now was performing her Seer duties. If she had ever been privy to any delicate information, she would have discovered it on the job. It was her luck that it had worked so quickly.

Those piercing green eyes seemed to be what kept sawing through Meilin's brain, conjuring up jumbled memories that didn't seem to be her own anymore. The handsome face of her fiancé was too fuzzy, too distant. Meilin could feel tears rolling down her face. She clenched her hands in fright.

With a scream, Meilin arched her back in pain. She saw a man in a palace, sitting at a small desk. He was facing away from her, but she felt an intense surge of pleasure as something seemed to burst into flames in front of his face. He fell back, but she still couldn't distinguish his face.

Frustrated, Meilin couldn't help but slam her head against the ground. More pain erupted, but more memories came surging forth. She could feel their power, feel the monumental impact they once had on her life. But none of them made any sense to her. She was in someone else's body, someone else's home. She couldn't have lived this cruelly.

Curling up into a ball, Meilin held her head in her hands as she sobbed.

* * *

More pounding. Everyone had come, who else could there be? Friends, what could be family, the competition; they all had heard of what had occurred. And they were happy. They rubbed the news in her face, smiling cruelly and offering condolences with just a hint of spite. And they all asked the same questions, repeating their disgusting curiosity.

"So who will run the shop?" They'd ask.

"Jiro will," someone would answer.

"Did you ever suspect?" It was obvious they had already come up with their own answers.

"He was the perfect citizen. There was no way of knowing," was the agreed upon answer.

"What kind of man would leave his family in the dark like this?"

"An honorable one," only Touya would whisper.

These interrogations had been ongoing for at least two days now. Rika was bedridden once again. Tomoyo had decided to work full time in Kagi's shop. Touya would sit on his workbench, staring at the furnace. And Sakura would watch over Rika, avoiding Eriol at all costs. But now there was more pounding and it wouldn't stop. Sakura tried squeezing her eyes shut and covering her ears, but it never went away. Was no one else home?

Dejectedly, Sakura climbed out of bed. After laying a hand on Rika's forehead to ensure that she was asleep, she shuffled out to the front of the shop, finding it empty. Whomever wished to gloat was insistent, refusing to leave until they had an audience. Sakura didn't bother mentally preparing herself before opening the door.

The front door revealed the prince, dressed fully in his royal garb of red and deep purple. It didn't quite suit him, Sakura couldn't help but think as her heart skipped a beat. She inwardly cursed herself. She could barely control herself around this man since her episode with Meilin. But she still planted a hand on her hip and glared at him, hiding her annoying reactions.

"I'm sorry for your loss," the prince began. Sakura tried to hide her shock, but his dark brown eyes penetrated her.

"Why? Was he executed?" Sakura was surprised when her voice cracked. The prince shook his head.

"We don't execute mages anymore. But that doesn't mean you'll ever see him again," he explained himself. Sakura narrowed her eyes and huffed. Without considering what she was doing, she slammed the door in his face and stomped away. It was only an instant before the prince let himself in.

"You're not welcome here!" Sakura yelled. She was pleased with the flash of shock that traveled across his face.

"Well, I order you to welcome me," he responded curtly. Sakura clenched her fists and spun around to face him.

"And what else would his majesty order me to do? Sit down and tell you my life story? Tell you the sweet nothings Eriol whispers into my ears when you're away? Invite you to join us for an especially intimate moment?" Sakura was growling, wanting to get under the prince's skin. He narrowed his eyes at her in return.

"I've explained myself before. I will not simply allow Eriol to become close with someone I, his master and close friend, do not know." Sakura laughed at this.

"Has the master always come before the friend?" she snapped. The prince, Syaoran, paused and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I understand you haven't seen Eriol since that little argument by the walls. I am here to know the reason," he changed the subject. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Doesn't he tell you everything? Don't you spend every waking moment of every day together?" She noted that she sounded a bit whiny.

"When he isn't with you, yes," Syaoran growled.

"Well you'll just have to accept that my feelings, reasons, opinions, and whatever else you'd like to know are my own," Sakura said. Syaoran took a few steps toward her, stopping only when they were inches apart.

"I'll just have to insist. I don't understand at all what your problem with Eriol is. He is a good man," Syaoran said lowly. It suddenly struck Sakura what a good friend Syaoran seemed to be. And as she took a deep breath, she inhaled his scent and couldn't help the blush climbing to her cheeks.

"It's personal," she whispered. Sakura shook her head, not understanding why her voice had suddenly become so hushed.

"Then the only conclusion I can come to is that I am the problem. Just what have I done to wrong you?" he demanded. Sakura stared at his neck, fighting the urge to lift her head and stare into his eyes. She couldn't speak for a few moments as she fought to control her breathing. Being so close to the prince was making her feel foggy. She could barely remember the last time she had been in his presence for so long. Sakura watched as Syaoran Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. Was he as nervous as she was?

"You're first in line for the throne," she finally answered softly. She could see Syaoran stiffen. With a quick glance down, she could also see him clenching his fists.

"The royal family has protected its people without fail. I would never compromise the safety of a citizen, whether they are my butler or a peasant," the prince stated proudly. Sakura snorted.

"So is that what Eriol truly is to you? A butler?" she argued. Syaoran suddenly grabbed her chin and forced her to look up at him. Her eyes immediately found his. A spike of fear was muffled by the surprisingly gentle way he handled her.

"Perhaps I'm a spoiled prince, bossing him around. Perhaps I act angrily when he uses his pet names or acts too friendly. But if there is anyone I can trust, it is him. He is my friend!" Syaoran insisted. Sakura's breath caught in her throat at his passion.

"That doesn't change the reason I'm angry. He never told me how close he was to you. He simply shrugged it off when you wouldn't stop following us around. He knew my feelings about you and he lied to me," Sakura wanted her body to start shaking, it seemed appropriate. But Syaoran's hand under her chin kept her anchored in place.

"So he withheld some truths. So what?" Syaoran glared.

"Is your relationship with Eriol the only one you've ever known, Prince?" Sakura questioned. Satisfaction made its way onto her face as he frowned deeply. And the conversation died, leaving them in place for what seemed like hours. Syaoran didn't move and Sakura found that she couldn't, either. Her heart pounded in her chest as her eyes traveled from his dark eyes to his unkempt hair and down to his lips. A small scar marred them, but they were soft. They were inviting.

"Your eyes are familiar to me," the prince suddenly whispered. Sakura's eyes were drawn to his again.

"Excuse me?"

"I always feel like I've seen them before. Before we met, that is," he muttered. He started to pull his hand away from her face but Sakura felt herself leaning into it and he stopped. Her eyes searched his, suspicious.

"Is that a feeling you get often, your majesty?" she questioned. Syaoran clenched his jaw for a moment before answering.

"It's the reason I took it upon myself to attempt to get to know you. And I could if you'd stop pushing me away," he said bitterly. Sakura shook her head, stepping away. Syaoran immediately stepped closer to her again. Sakura was growing weary.

"So Eriol has nothing to do with you being a nuisance?" she demanded. Syaoran slowly shook his head.

"He misses you." Sakura couldn't help but think the comment sounded snide, almost as if the prince weren't pleased with the fact. "I should leave. You need to speak to Eriol again," he said before silence could envelope them again. Sakura sucked in a breath of air and looked up at him.

"Just one more thing," she requested. Syaoran watched her as he stepped away carefully.

"What is it?" he mumbled.

"Which block is Hashi in?" she was bold enough to ask. Syaoran froze for a moment, narrowing his eyes.

"Akane, he will never be permitted to leave. And you will never be permitted to see him. Don't go—"

"Prince Li, it would comfort me to know," Sakura interrupted him. Syaoran paused, his mouth hanging open. He shook his head as he closed it, quickly approaching the door. "Please, Syaoran—" The prince stopped abruptly at this. Sakura immediately caught her mistake and took a step back, looking down. And, gently, almost as if it would burn him, the prince clutched the door handle.

"He's in block R," he whispered before he turned the knob and left almost as abruptly as he had entered.

* * *

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	23. Chapter 23

Eriol gave Sakura a long, lingering kiss. When he pulled away she was left breathless, leaning against the oak tree in their sanctuary. When Eriol leaned forward to continue his affections, Sakura gladly took part, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her body against his. With his hands on her hips, Eriol picked Sakura up in an attempt to get closer to her, using the tree to hold her against himself. When they parted for a breath, Sakura opened her eyes to look into Eriol's, only to find a pair of dark brown eyes staring back at her. Golden flecks decorated the iris, drawing her in as they penetrated her soul.

With a gasp, Sakura struggled to distance herself from the eyes, pushing at Eriol's chest with a force that threw him to the ground. As she looked to Eriol, backing away slowly, shocked blue eyes met her own green ones.

"Sakura, I'm sorry, I just missed you so much…" Eriol tried to explain himself. He stood slowly, careful not to startle her. As Sakura came back to her senses, she shook her head.

"I—n-no. I'm sorry. I thought I saw someone behind you, over there…" Sakura pointed somewhere in the distance. "I guess I'm just paranoid. I'm so sorry." Sakura threw herself into Eriol's arms, who immediately enveloped her in his warmth. With a sweet kiss on the top of her head, Eriol sighed.

"I guess I deserved it anyway. I should have been more straightforward about my position… I hope you know I would have made sure you and Touya knew if I thought Syao would be any danger," Eriol pleaded. His eyes were full of worry and concern for her, making Sakura's heart giddily skip a beat.

"Syao?" she raised an eyebrow and Eriol grinned at her. "I know I overreacted, though. I know it should have been obvious in the first place. It's just, him just showing up like that… Kind of put me over the edge." Eriol hugged her tightly.

"I know. I can't imagine how stressful being in this city is for you." Eriol pulled Sakura to the ground, sitting her on his lap and wrapping his arms tightly around her. Sakura's head fit perfectly in the curve of his neck. "Sakura… I'm sorry about Hashi," Eriol's voice hushed to a whisper. "What happened?" Sakura took a moment to respond.

"Rika has magic. She's been holding it in. I get the feeling she's pretty strong, but her mother taught her not to use her magic at all…" Eriol nodding along with Sakura's words.

"That explains a lot, actually. And for Hashi to give himself up…" Eriol shook his head in disbelief. "He and I have never gotten along, but that was incredibly honorable of him." Sakura nodded in agreement, shifting uncomfortably.

"How has Prince Li been?" Sakura muttered. Eriol looked down at her in shock.

"Syaoran?" Sakura nodded. Eriol watched her for a few moments before responding. "He's been more of a pain in the ass than usual. Yet, strangely, he's been keeping to himself. It's odd behavior for him." Sakura glanced up at Eriol. He had his eyes locked in her. After some deliberation, Sakura spoke.

"He came to see me a couple of days ago," she explained. Eriol opened his mouth to respond, then closed it. He scratched his head in confusion, leaning a bit further back to think.

"What did he want?" he finally asked. Sakura shrugged.

"He wanted to know why I had gotten angry with you. He apologized… kind of. And he offered his condolences for Hashi," she responded. Eriol shook his head again in disbelief.

"Syaoran is a very prideful person, Sakura. I'm amazed that he did such a thing," Eriol muttered. Sakura looked up to catch his eye, but he avoided it.

"Eriol, he mentioned that he recognized me. But he didn't know how. Would you have any idea?" Eriol looked down at her upon hearing those words, worry clouding his eyes. He clenched his jaw while he thought, debating on what his answer should be.

"Sakura, as much as I love you, you know now that Syaoran is a very close friend of mine. As such, I'm entitled to keep his secrets… Trust me when I say if such secrets would ever cause any harm to you or your family, I wouldn't keep them. But this is a piece of knowledge that belongs to Syaoran and only him. So, yes, I do have some idea. But I cannot say. At least, not now," he announced. Sakura frowned at him, wondering how she felt about this bit of information.

"He told me one other thing," she dropped her voice into a whisper. Eriol frowned, too, nervous about the direction this conversation seemed to be heading. "Hashi is being held in block R." Eriol's eyes widened at this.

"Sakura, Hashi has been suspected of being a mage for many, many years. He wouldn't be kept there, it's too common. It's where we put mages who've discovered their magic on accident… or desperately tried to be rid of it. A mage like Hashi is definitely a special circumstance. He'd be kept in isolation," he argued. Sakura let out a breath of air.

"What reason would the prince have to lie to me?"

"What reason would he have to tell you anything at all?" Eriol questioned. Sakura fidgeted under his gaze.

"I told him it would help me cope," she answered. Eriol shook his head.

"Sakura, that isn't at all like him. He may not be cruel, but he isn't all that compassionate, either," he said. Frustrated, Sakura stood, leaving Eriol's lap cold with her absence.

"Eriol, you have to let me try!" she yelled. Eriol responded with silence, staring up at her sadly. "I realize that when I asked for this to help Yamazaki, it was foolish. I don't even know that girl. But this is Hashi we're talking about."

"Sakura, I wouldn't even know where to begin…" Eriol trailed off, thinking it over. He knew Sakura needed this. Her bright green eyes, beautiful as ever, pleaded with him. He couldn't imagine denying her this opportunity. "Seers don't even go near the prison. It's too overwhelming for them," he sighed. Sakura eyes became hopeful and she kneeled before him. "It wouldn't be too difficult for you to get to. The prison is detached from palace grounds…" Eriol watched as Sakura took his hands in her own.

"Eriol, you wouldn't have to be any part of this. Just tell me the best way to get in and out," she begged. Eriol sighed, reaching over to her and pulling her in for a deep kiss.

"Let me make sure Hashi is where Syaoran claims he is. There's no way you'd be able to find him without getting caught if you had to search the entire grounds," he said. Sakura smiled sadly at him.

"And do you think me foolish for doing this?" she asked softly. Eriol grinned at her.

"I don't think I'd love you as much if you weren't so foolish."

* * *

Touya watched Tomoyo play with her food. Her face was crestfallen, scrunched together in concentration. With a sigh, Touya reached over and tucked a lock of hair behind the woman's ear.

"What is it?" he questioned. Tomoyo shook head a bit, causing her hair to fall over her ears again. It reached just passed her shoulders now.

"Why are we still here, Touya?" she asked in return. Touya scratched his head and leaned back in his chair.

"Because we need to be," he said simply. Tomoyo glared at him.

"Because Sakura says so?" she argued. "She barely speaks to either of us. She even gave Hashi the cold shoulder half the time he was here. But because of who you two claim she is, we have to just go along with whatever she feels like doing?"

"Tomoyo, you really shouldn't jump to conclusions about her," Touya muttered, starting to pick at his own unfinished food. The two of them sat in the empty shop, the curtains drawn and the door locked.

"You mean like she never did with me?" Tomoyo said sarcastically. Touya looked down at the table. He knew that Tomoyo was once an unconditionally kind person, but what he and Sakura had put her through had changed that. He hated it.

"I'll repeat myself if I must," Touya said lowly. He closed his eyes. "I was very cruel to Sakura when we were younger. Our mother passed long before her time, Clow seemed to have left us… We even had to leave our father behind. Sakura isn't exactly eager to get close to anyone right now, even me," he explained. Tomoyo snorted.

"What about Eriol?" she asked. Touya opened his eyes and glared at her.

"They have a history," he answered. Tomoyo rolled her eyes.

"It wasn't exactly a friendly history from what I've gathered," she pointed out.

"It was because of Eriol that Sakura was able to save my life," Touya said gruffly. With an uncharacteristic growl, Tomoyo shot out of her seat.

"Why do you keep defending her, Touya? If she were truly a good sister to you, then she wouldn't treat you like she does!" she yelled.

"And how does she treat me?" Touya challenged. Tomoyo crossed her arms over her chest and straightened.

"Like you're nothing."

"It's not like I've given her an opportunity to rekindle a friendlier sort of relationship with me, Tomoyo. I'm still struggling, too. She and I have lost the same people," Touya said desperately.

"But you're not as damaged as her! You haven't pushed me away. You were incredibly close to Hashi," Tomoyo pointed out.

"So? What are you getting at?" Touya demanded.

"Sakura isn't worth your time or energy, Touya. She still ignores us. Hashi is gone. It's too dangerous now for Rika to stay in the city. And, frankly, I don't want to remain under the rule of the people who slaughtered my family and townspeople. We need to leave, Touya," Tomoyo begged. She watched emotions flit across his face with pleading eyes.

"I will not leave Sakura!" Touya pounded his fists on the table and shot to his feet, startling Tomoyo. "She is the reason I am sane and alive, Tomoyo. She may be bitter, a bit immature, and she definitely doesn't deal with her problems well. But she is my baby sister and my future queen. I have every intention of following her to my death. She is my everything, Tomoyo!" Touya was shouting. Tomoyo was shaking from the tension that had pervaded her body.

"Then what I am to you?!" Tomoyo yelled in return. Touya narrowed his eyes at her.

"I won't deny that I've developed feelings for you. But not even you could cause me to turn my back on my family and my kingdom. I have a lot of mistakes to make up for. And, yes, Sakura and I need a lot more time to fix our relationship. But if there's any way to do that, it's what we're doing right now. Fighting all of this," Touya spread his arms out and looked around himself, "together." Tomoyo shook her head vigorously, looking away from him. "Don't you want to know why you were targeted, Tomoyo?" Tomoyo looked down at her injured hand. She could barely curl it into a fist, pain shooting through the joints as she twitched.

"No, Touya, I don't want to know. All I want is to take Rika away from this place and be free. I want to feel safe," she whispered. Touya shook his head in disappointment.

"I understand where you're coming from, but what about all of the kindness Sakura has shown you?" he asked. Tomoyo shot him a questioning glance. "She's the one who fixed up your hand. She's the reason you're not wandering through the countryside, lost and alone. If it were up to me, we would have left you back there, bleeding out. But she insisted you come with us. She knew you had some part in our journey. Are you at all curious to find out what that part is?" Touya stepped around the table to take Tomoyo's hands.

"Touya, I don't want to deal with her anymore," she muttered, staring at his chest. With a sigh, Touya dropped her hands.

"Tomoyo, Sakura can't use any of her magic here. She can't work, that would be too dangerous. She can't help me out around the shop, we can't be in the same room without arguing for more than a few minutes. She doesn't know what to think of you. I can tell that she is terrified of getting too close to Rika. Wouldn't you be driven insane from just those things?" he reasoned. Tomoyo looked away from him, having an internal debate. Touya sighed and took her into his arms, resting his head on hers.

"Please, just give her a little more time. Let her figure out what she needs to do. We have to be patient with her, because she's the only one who can save us," Touya murmured. Tomoyo didn't answer, simply leaning in to his embrace. From the windowsill across the room, Spinel lay watching them, his head lolling lazily on his paws. Touya gave him a look as he held Tomoyo, a question evident in his eyes: Just what were they meant to be doing?


	24. Note to the Readers

Hello everyone.

There has been a recent spike in readers for this story and it made me remember how neglectful I've been... But please don't hold your breath. I have every intention of continuing this story (and finishing it) within the next few months, but I am unable to right now. There are several reasons, some of which include the fact that I'm a senior in university taking some very difficult classes, I've recently been laid off, and I'm trying to plan my wedding. So while I'm jumping through hoops trying to pull my life back together, I trust that you guys will continue to be amazing supporters for this story. This is the only piece of writing I've started that I know I can finish-I already have some of the later chapters written up. I just need time to get myself together, take a breath, and look at this project with fresh eyes.

As a peace offering, I'd like to let you know that this story will come in several parts. I intend on a trilogy, but that may change. Obviously, the first part is Prisoner of War. The second part will be called Calm Before the Storm and part three will be Breaking Shackles and Chains. And as I come back to finish Prisoner of War, there may be edits in earlier chapters. One of the great benefits of FanFiction is being able to return to earlier published chapters, find that one mistake that drives you insane, and fixing it.

Now, I beg of you, continue to support this story. I do have big things planned and I want for all of you to read about it.

I love you all!


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